Cloud adoption is rapidly increasing across global markets, including Pakistan, but new research shows that many organisations are struggling to secure their cloud environments. While companies are moving to hybrid and multi-cloud setups for flexibility and scalability, critical security gaps are putting systems at risk.
Recent industry reports show that more than 78% of organisations now use multiple cloud providers, and over half operate hybrid models that combine traditional on-premises systems with public cloud platforms. However, security and compliance challenges are slowing further expansion, with 61% of companies citing cyber risk as their top concern.
A major issue highlighted is weak identity and access management. Many organisations do not have full visibility into internal cloud traffic, creating opportunities for attackers to move laterally once they break in. Meanwhile, heavy reliance on too many security tools is causing slow incident response. Studies show that 71% of organisations use more than ten cloud security tools, yet only 9% can detect a breach in its early stage.
The rise of artificial intelligence in cloud environments is adding new risks. Non-human identities such as bots, service accounts, and automated systems are becoming common, but are often poorly monitored. More than 80% of cloud-using organisations run AI workloads, and many have vulnerable AI components that could be exploited.
In response, companies are now prioritising unified cloud security platforms, automation in threat response, and zero-trust security models that verify every user and system continuously. Experts say that governance frameworks must also evolve, moving from static policies to adaptive and risk-based controls.
For Pakistani enterprises, banks, telecom companies, and government institutions, the findings serve as a warning. Cloud adoption in the region is increasing quickly, but skilled cybersecurity professionals remain in short supply. Organisations are being urged to improve identity controls, invest in centralised cloud-security management, and build talent through training and partnerships.
Analysts predict that as cloud usage and AI workloads continue to grow in 2025, companies that treat cloud security as a core business strategy, rather than an add-on, will be better positioned to innovate while protecting data and critical infrastructure.
