Cloud access is the remote use of computing resources over the internet, typically through a managed service. Users authenticate to a provider’s platform to submit workloads, use applications, or retrieve results without directly operating the underlying hardware.
In cybersecurity, cloud access makes identity and service configuration critical: weak credentials or overly broad permissions can expose resources, while inadequate tenant isolation or logging can put data and workloads at risk. For services that provide access to specialized hardware, such as quantum computers, defenders should verify who can submit jobs, how outputs and logs are protected, and how customer environments are separated. Strong authentication, least-privilege permissions, monitoring, and clear data-handling controls help reduce these risks.