Hybrid cloud security was never built for the challenges artificial intelligence brings to the table today. It’s as if we’re trying to fight a modern war with outdated tools. As a female founder juggling multiple startups, including CADChain and the F/MS Startup Game, I’ve witnessed firsthand how technological shifts like AI don't just ripple through industries , they can shake their foundational security structures to the core. Let's take a close look at hybrid cloud security, why it's struggling in the AI era, and how we, as entrepreneurs, can better prepare our businesses.
Understanding the Problem
Hybrid cloud security refers to protecting data, applications, and operations that span across private data centers, public clouds, and on-premise infrastructure. Historically, these systems were designed to defend against human-operated threats. But this isn't 2014 anymore, and the stakes have changed. AI can now generate threats faster, more intelligently, and with devastating efficiency.
Statistics from CrowdStrike show that cloud intrusions jumped by 136% in just one year, with Chinese nexus attackers accounting for around 40% of malicious activities. It’s no stretch to state that traditional security setups aren’t just inefficient, they’re borderline irrelevant against machine-speed threats.
How AI Has Changed the Game
AI attackers leverage automated systems to exploit weaknesses, reaching into hybrid cloud systems. These systems aren’t just potential risks for corporations, they’re the backbone for many startups, small businesses, and freelancers relying on platforms like AWS or Azure.
Here’s what’s happening:
- AI-Driven Breaches: Attack attempts are no longer "human-speed"; they’re "machine-speed," meaning milliseconds count. Traditional detection tools fall behind.
- Larger Attack Surfaces: Hybrid setups naturally spread across multiple infrastructures, significantly complicating visibility and control.
- Weaponized AI: Tools previously used for good, like AI-driven content creation or predictions, are being twisted into new threats. Cybercriminals now use AI to mimic human behaviors, bypassing conventional filters and protections.
Steps Entrepreneurs Must Take
As someone with a history of bootstrapping startups and overseeing technology-heavy industries, I've seen entrepreneurs underestimate security because of its costs or complexity. But neglecting these threats isn’t an option anymore. Here’s how to tackle the new AI-driven challenges for hybrid cloud systems:
1. Real-Time Threat Monitoring
AI attacks operate in milliseconds, so your tools need to work just as quickly. Solutions such as CrowdStrike Falcon or SentinelOne are offering robust real-time monitoring capabilities to sniff out unusual behaviors before they escalate into crises.
2. AI in Defense
The irony is that AI itself is one of our greatest weapons against its own abuse. Solutions using machine learning can spot deviations in network behavior, flagging hacking attempts instantly. I’d suggest small-business-friendly tools like StrongDM. They focus on automated responses and visibility, all things many startups need.
3. Rethink User Permissions
Over-permissive systems are often the Achilles' heel of businesses transitioning to hybrid cloud structures. Streamline permissions using the principle of “least privilege.” Adopt tools like Okta for seamless identity and access management.
4. Invest in Employee Awareness
No matter how good your technology, people remain the weakest link. AI phishing schemes are already tricking even seasoned professionals. Use platforms like KnowBe4 to simulate attacks, making security training accessible and relevant.
Top Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
- Ignoring Hybrid Complexity: Don’t assume responsibilities lie with the hosting provider. If your business spans multiple clouds, you are responsible for the integration's security.
- Underinvesting in Security: While budgeting is always a struggle for bootstrapped founders, security isn’t optional. A breach will derail your operations faster than you can imagine.
- Relying on Legacy Approaches: Firewalls alone don’t cut it. If your security doesn’t include AI, real-time monitoring, and compliance tracking, it’s already outdated.
Lessons from Experience
Over the years, bootstrapping CADChain and co-creating the F/MS Startup Game taught me the value of resilience and community. Network security isn’t something you can “set and forget.” It requires constant evolution, collaboration with experts, and ongoing testing.
One of the best insights? Automate whatever you can. Use open-source tools alongside more advanced paid ones. Platforms like Reco AI explain how even simple changes, like automating configuration compliance, go a long way in reducing vulnerabilities.
Insights for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe
The tech sector's mindset is shifting, but female entrepreneurs still face unique challenges, including entering technically complex fields like cloud security. Women founders regularly bounce between dozens of responsibilities, raising funding, managing teams, and scaling operations, leaving little room for technical risks like cybersecurity. Yet hybrid cloud systems run many of our businesses, including mine.
If this resonates with you, I encourage considering mentorship programs or platforms designed for women founders, such as Female Founders Europe. These are strong networks to learn about not only scaling, but how to secure the technology we scale.
Closing Thoughts
Hybrid cloud security wasn’t built to handle AI’s rise, but we have the tools to adapt. For entrepreneurs, security isn’t just a tech problem, it’s a survival challenge. By integrating real-time monitoring, adopting AI for defense, monitoring permissions carefully, and consistently training employees, we can transform our weakest link into our strongest defense.
As entrepreneurs, particularly female founders, it’s essential to lead by example. Show our teams the practicality of good security practices and ensure that protecting our hybrid systems is as much a regular part of business as running payroll or closing deals.
Doing this doesn’t just keep our startups safe, it becomes part of a bigger story where we, as resilient leaders, remind the world that no challenge, not even something as sophisticated as AI-driven threats, stops us.
FAQ
1. What is hybrid cloud security?
Hybrid cloud security involves protecting data, applications, and workloads that operate across a mix of public cloud, private cloud, and on-premise environments. It requires tools, processes, and controls to ensure consistent protection across platforms. Learn more about hybrid cloud security with Reco AI
2. Why is hybrid cloud security struggling in the AI era?
Traditional hybrid cloud security was built to defend against human-operated threats. With AI-driven attacks operating at machine speed, these methods often fail to keep up. AI can exploit vulnerabilities faster and mimic human behavior to bypass outdated protections. Understand why hybrid cloud security needs reinvention from VentureBeat
3. What are AI-driven breaches in hybrid cloud environments?
AI-driven breaches utilize machine learning to identify weaknesses, infiltrate systems at high speed, and launch attacks more effectively than human hackers. These methods expose vulnerabilities in hybrid setups where visibility and control are spread thin.
4. How can real-time threat monitoring help against AI-driven threats?
Real-time threat monitoring using AI can detect unusual behaviors instantly and prevent them from escalating. Tools like CrowdStrike Falcon and SentinelOne specialize in such capabilities, helping businesses stay ahead of evolving threats. Explore CrowdStrike Falcon's threat monitoring capabilities
5. How can businesses incorporate AI for defense against cyber threats?
AI itself can be used as a defense tool, employing machine learning to identify and prevent threats in real time. Solutions like StrongDM focus on automated responses and enhanced visibility for hybrid clouds. Learn more about StrongDM for cloud security
6. Why is managing user permissions crucial in hybrid cloud security?
User permissions are a common vulnerability in hybrid environments. Over-permissive systems increase the risk of unauthorized access. Adopting tools like Okta that streamline identity and access management can mitigate this risk. Discover Okta for managing user permissions
7. How can startups balance security costs and effectiveness?
Many startups bypass security due to costs or complexity, but modern tools offer scalable options for small businesses. Real-time monitoring and AI-driven defenses are essential investments to avoid potentially devastating breaches.
8. What role does employee training play in cybersecurity?
Employees are often the weakest link in security. Training programs like KnowBe4 simulate attacks and teach employees to recognize phishing scams, reducing risk. Learn about KnowBe4's cybersecurity training
9. What are the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make in hybrid cloud security?
Entrepreneurs often underestimate hybrid complexity, underinvest in security, and rely on outdated methods like firewalls. Adapting modern practices like AI integration and compliance tracking is critical for survival in the AI-driven threat landscape.
10. How can female entrepreneurs in Europe navigate technical risks?
Female founders juggling multiple roles can benefit from mentorship programs and platforms tailored for women in tech. Communities like Female Founders Europe help leaders scale businesses while managing technical challenges effectively. Check out Female Founders Europe
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
