These days, the cloud is not just limited to storage; it comes with on-demand access to a computer (virtual), databases, analytics, or even the software over the network with flexible pricing based on usage, enabling more than just a storage solution, such as digital workflows, real-time collaboration, and more. There are options to go for SaaS, like Microsoft 365, or even PaaS, where we get access to global apps without even touching physical hardware. With the advancement and availability of software and the convenience it offers, developers are heavily dependent on cloud solutions, but as usage increases, this also means more deployment of its services, potentially missing key security details.

but we’ve all been there: It’s 2:00 AM, the coffee is cold, and you just want the damn app to work. You click “Allow All,” tell yourself you’ll fix it Monday, and go to bed.

But in the cloud, “I’ll fix it later” is a dangerous game. Here are five ways we accidentally leave the door unlocked—and how to bolt it shut.

1. The “Wide Open” S3 Bucket

The Mistake: You’re rushing to host some images, so you make the bucket public. Suddenly, your private customer data is indexed on Google.

The Fix: Hit the “Big Red Button.” Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level. It’s a safety net that overrides any “oops” a tired dev might make.

2. Giving Everyone “God Mode”

The Mistake: Permissions are annoying, so you give the whole team AdministratorAccess. It’s easy until one person’s laptop gets swiped and the thief has the keys to your entire digital kingdom. The Fix: Use IAM Access Analyzer. It looks at what your team actually does and helps you trim their permissions down to only what they need.

3. Hardcoding Your Secrets

The Mistake: You paste an AWS Access Key directly into your code because it’s faster. You push to GitHub, and within seconds, a bot finds it and racks up a $10k bill mining Bitcoin.

The Free Fix: Use IAM Roles for your instances. Your code will “just work” without ever needing a hardcoded password.

4. Leaving the SSH Gate Open

The Mistake: You open Port 22 to 0.0.0.0/0 so you can log in from home. Now, every bot in the world is hammering your server with login attempts.

The Pro Move: Switch to AWS Systems Manager Session Manager. You can log into your servers through the browser—no open ports, no SSH keys, no headache.

5. The Root Account “Lid”

The Mistake: Using the account you signed up with for daily work. If that gets hacked, it’s game over—you can’t even lock the attacker out.

The Fix: Enable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) on your Root account, then stop using it. Create a standard admin user for yourself and keep the Root account for emergencies only.