Cloud migration has become table stakes for organizations, but moving to the cloud doesn't automatically mean everything is moving securely. Misconfigured cloud environments are a leading cause of data breaches, and the damage is usually from (mis)configuration decisions made months or years earlier, like a role granted too much access, a storage bucket left open,or a backup policy that was never tested. 

In April 2026, AWS Audit Manager entered maintenance mode and is closed to all new accounts. 
 

AWS Audit Manager Alternatives & Next Steps for Customers

Key Takeaways: 

Many organizations struggle to implement cloud cost and security recommendations despite knowing they need improvement. Industry experts have identified ten organizational barriers that consistently prevent companies from taking action on critical recommendations. Understanding these obstacles is the first step toward building more responsive and secure cloud operations.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) helps organizations continuously find and fix security risks in their cloud environments, especially misconfigurations, overly permissive access, and compliance gaps.

Because cloud infrastructure changes constantly, security issues can appear quickly and go unnoticed. CSPM tools provide ongoing visibility, automated checks against best practices and frameworks, and alerts that help teams reduce exposure before it turns into an incident.

Cloud cost and security are inherently intertwined by design, but seldom evaluated together. The most effective cloud infrastructure management strategy uses cost efficiencies to directly fund security improvements.