A cloud platform is a remotely hosted computing environment used to run applications, store data, and manage business operations. Instead of keeping systems on one local server, organizations use provider-managed infrastructure that can scale quickly and be accessed from anywhere.
In cyber security, cloud platforms matter because they concentrate identities, permissions, and data in one shared environment. A weak password, overprivileged account, exposed storage bucket, or misconfigured API can give attackers broad access. Defenders reduce risk with multi-factor authentication, least privilege, network segmentation, encryption, logging, and regular configuration reviews. In practice, cloud platforms are often both the target and the control point: attackers try to abuse access, while defenders use the platform’s built-in security tools to detect misuse and limit damage.