As more Australian businesses embrace digital transformation and migrate their operations to the cloud, the need to safeguard digital assets becomes paramount. While cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer convenience and scalability, they also come with their share of risks. This is where regular cloud security assessments become vital.

But one question often asked by IT leaders, CISOs, and business owners alike is: How often should you run a cloud security assessment?
In this article, we unpack the answer—exploring why frequency matters, when assessments should be conducted, and how to tailor your security strategy to match the risk.

What Is a Cloud Security Assessment?

A cloud security assessment is a structured process that evaluates your organisation’s cloud environment to identify weaknesses, misconfigurations, access issues, and compliance risks. It helps you uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do, giving your business a proactive edge in cybersecurity.

It includes reviewing access controls, cloud configurations, encryption policies, incident response capabilities, and third-party integrations. The goal is to ensure your infrastructure is aligned with industry standards and regulatory frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and Australia’s SOCI Act and Privacy Act.

Whether you’re running on public, private, or hybrid cloud, a proper assessment serves as a critical checkpoint to avoid costly breaches, reputation loss, and compliance violations.

Why Cloud Security Assessments Are More Important Than Ever

Operating in the cloud is no longer optional—it’s the standard. But with it comes a growing attack surface and a constantly evolving threat landscape.

Here’s why regular assessments are not just advisable—they’re essential:

1. Rising Threat Levels

Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, launching attacks via ransomware, phishing, misconfigured APIs, and identity theft. What was considered secure six months ago might now be vulnerable due to new exploits or overlooked gaps.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Australian businesses in critical sectors—such as healthcare, banking, energy, and telecommunications—are under increasing pressure to comply with cybersecurity laws like the SOCI Act. These laws require proactive risk management and regular security reviews, particularly in cloud environments.

3. Third-party Dependencies

Cloud ecosystems often rely on integrations with external apps, vendors, or services. Each connection introduces a potential point of compromise. Regular security assessments ensure third-party risks are continuously monitored and mitigated.

4. Human Error & Misconfigurations

Many data breaches result from simple mistakes—like an open S3 bucket or weak access control. These misconfigurations often go unnoticed without a consistent audit process.

So, How Often Should You Run a Cloud Security Assessment?

There’s no universal rule, but the right frequency depends on your business size, industry, cloud maturity, and risk profile. That said, the following guidelines can help you develop a robust assessment schedule:

1. Quarterly Assessments (Best Practice)

For most mid to large-sized Australian businesses, conducting a cloud security assessment every three months is ideal. It strikes a balance between cost, effort, and risk, ensuring that vulnerabilities are caught before they escalate.

2. After Any Major Change

Any time you introduce a significant change to your cloud environment—such as launching a new app, migrating to a different platform, or integrating with third-party APIs—you should perform an immediate assessment. Changes can introduce unknown vulnerabilities.

3. Post-Incident Reviews

If you’ve suffered a cyber incident (e.g. ransomware attack, phishing breach, or insider threat), a full cloud security assessment is non-negotiable. It will help you identify the entry point, assess damage, and plug vulnerabilities to prevent recurrence.

4. Annual Independent Audits

In addition to internal reviews, it’s wise to engage an external cloud security specialist for an annual third-party audit. Independent experts provide a fresh perspective, benchmarking your defences against industry standards and identifying overlooked risks.

Signs You May Need More Frequent Assessments

Even if you already conduct regular checks, you may need to increase the frequency if:

• Your cloud usage has rapidly scaled (e.g. due to business growth or remote work adoption).

• You operate in a high-risk or highly regulated sector (e.g. healthcare, finance, infrastructure).

• You’ve recently experienced a data breach or suspicious network activity.

• You lack visibility into your current cloud security posture.

Being reactive in today’s cybersecurity climate simply isn’t enough. If you’re uncertain, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

What Should a Cloud Security Assessment Cover?

A comprehensive cloud security assessment should include:

• Access Control Review – Identify who has access and whether permissions align with the principle of least privilege.

• Configuration Audits – Evaluate whether cloud services (e.g. storage, compute, networking) are securely set up.

• Data Encryption Review – Ensure data is encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard protocols.

• Compliance Mapping – Verify alignment with regulations like the SOCI Act, ISO 27001, and NIST frameworks.

• Vulnerability Scanning & Pen Testing – Actively look for exploitable flaws in your cloud infrastructure.

• Logging & Monitoring Evaluation – Assess whether suspicious activity is being logged, alerted, and responded to.

Cybersecurity is not a one-time project—it’s a continuous process. Waiting until you experience a breach before taking action is a costly mistake. A regular cloud security assessment helps you stay ahead of cyber threats, meet compliance requirements, and protect the trust of your customers and stakeholders.