The Shared Responsibility Myth: What Cloud Providers Don’t Cover in Your Data Security Plan
Published by Wentz IT Consulting
Let’s get real—moving to the cloud doesn’t mean moving away from responsibility. Too many organizations assume their cloud provider is handling data security. That assumption can lead straight to a breach.
At Wentz IT, we’ve seen firsthand how small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments unintentionally expose themselves to avoidable threats by misunderstanding the cloud’s shared responsibility model.
The Shared Responsibility Model: What It Really Means
Cloud providers like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud operate under a shared responsibility model. They secure the infrastructure—think data centers, physical servers, and networking hardware. But everything else? That’s on you. Security in the cloud—your users, data, devices, configurations, and policies—falls on the customer.
Microsoft puts it plainly: “Customers are responsible for securing their own data, identities, and devices” (Microsoft, 2024).
4 Critical Areas Your Cloud Provider Doesn’t Protect
- Identity & Access Management: You must enforce MFA, implement role-based access, and audit user activity.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Cloud apps won’t stop employees from accidentally (or maliciously) leaking sensitive data.
- Endpoint Security: Laptops and mobile devices are your frontline—and they’re not protected by AWS or Microsoft.
- Backups & Disaster Recovery: Unless you configure and test them, your cloud backups may not be recoverable when it counts.
Common Pitfalls We See Every Week
- Phishing Emails: A well-crafted email can still bypass defenses and steal cloud credentials in minutes.
- Misconfigured Permissions: One wrong SharePoint or S3 setting and sensitive files are exposed to the world.
- Lost Devices: A laptop with sync enabled and no encryption? That’s a data breach waiting to happen.
Cloud breaches often aren’t the result of a sophisticated nation-state. They’re caused by simple oversights—things your provider doesn’t catch because it’s not their job.
Five Steps to Take Today
If you’re storing sensitive data in the cloud—especially if you’re using Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or AWS—take these steps now:
- Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts
- Use conditional access to block risky logins
- Encrypt sensitive files at rest and in transit
- Review audit logs with tools like Microsoft Purview
- Ensure backups are complete, testable, and securely stored—ideally in a separate cloud
Let’s Turn Assumptions Into Action
Cloud technology is one of the greatest enablers of modern business—but it’s not a security silver bullet. Whether you’re a nonprofit stewarding donor data or a small business protecting client records, you are still accountable.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. At Wentz IT Consulting, we help organizations just like yours close these gaps before they become headlines.
Let’s schedule a no-pressure review of your current cloud setup and risk posture. We’ll help you turn your cloud into a fortress—not a false sense of security.