Securing Snowflake: A CISO’s Guide to Effective Access Control

Recent data breaches involving companies using Snowflake's cloud storage platform have highlighted significant vulnerabilities in data security practices and emphasized the shared responsibility between service providers and their customers. While Snowflake provides a sophisticated and powerful platform for data analytics, the responsibility for securing data does not rest solely on their shoulders. CISOs should prioritize and enhance their security capabilities by focusing on collaboration and shared responsibility, ensuring that both service providers and customers are aligned in their commitment to data security. By taking proactive measures such as gaining visibility into permissions, implementing robust access reviews, monitoring activity, optimizing RBAC implementations, establishing best practices for access requests, leveraging AI for advanced optimization, addressing technical debt, and preparing for compliance and audits, CISOs can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches, compliance failures, and unnecessary spending.