Last Updated on September 21, 2022 by
Most organizations move their digital resources to the cloud to streamline their IT operations in today’s digital world. After all, cloud storage and backup provide a convenient, cost-saving, and flexible way to store a company’s sensitive data. Almost 94% of organizations use at least one cloud service. IT Support Vermont offers businesses comprehensive cloud security solutions to protect their infrastructure.
Of course, data security is a significant concern with all cloud-based storage services. However, if you use cloud storage, you’ll face many data security issues that many businesses have never dealt with.
You shouldn’t have to worry about security when it comes to cloud computing. Cloud services are safe because cloud service providers do everything they can to keep your data secure. But it does not mean that you should be overly cautious either.
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What is Cloud Security?
Cloud security protects your data from unauthorized access, collection, destruction, loss, modification, or dissemination. As organizations move toward their digital transformation journey and implement cloud computing tools and services in their IT infrastructure, they will need adequate security.
Cloud security threats occur when data is stored in the cloud, either on a corporate computer or on a third-party service. Cloud security threats can come from various sources, including hackers, disgruntled employees, and customers who steal or leak confidential information.
Why is Cloud Security Important?
In today’s era of growing threats, most organizations are migrating their data, applications, and other assets to the cloud. Therefore, it is essential to understand how to safeguard this sensitive information that could be exposed.
Your business needs a firm customer information security policy to prevent customer data from being compromised.
One of the main reasons for adopting cloud security solutions is to maintain regulatory compliance. Especially for industries that have to adhere to strict standards or face heavy fines, the cloud offers companies and enterprises more advantages than a physical system.
Seven Best Ways To Improve Cloud Security
The following steps will help you successfully integrate business software and processes in the cloud to improve your organization’s security rather than compromise it.
1. Educate Your Employees for Anti-Phishing
Employees could be the greatest threat to your cloud security. However, they do not pose an immediate risk. A phishing attack is a standard method hackers use to try and gain unauthorized access to your data. Therefore, protecting your employees from phishing attacks is essential, especially when they log into their work email accounts. In addition, it’s a good idea to make your employees aware of the scam so they don’t get involved.
2. Backup Your Data
Even if you carefully handle your cloud storage, there is a chance of data loss. However, if you back up your storage frequently, recovery techniques can be more accessible and less damaged.
If you are not already backing up your storage, you should do so as soon as possible. Backing up your data regularly will save you from much pain in the future. In addition, if you lose your data, you may want to look for a similar file on your computer or a backup copy you made. So, find a way to secure your data by implementing scheduled backups regularly.
3. Deploy Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Secure cloud access with multifactor authentication (MFA), whether on-premises or in the cloud. Only authorized personnel can log in to your cloud apps and access sensitive data.
One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to keep hackers out of your cloud apps is the MFA (Multi-factor Authentication).
While most security experts recommend you use multifactor authentication, which is more effective than simple password protection, most administrators will consider you negligent if you fail to implement this as a part of your IT infrastructure.
4. Plan Your Storage
You need to weigh your options if you want to transfer all your files to one cloud. If you only need an infrastructure to hold all your confidential files, then that’s what you need. On the other hand, if you want to integrate all your files into one cloud, you have to give many team members access, so make sure you do a file audit.
5. Password Security
Password protection is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve cloud security. Make sure that everyone in your organization uses strong passwords, and keep track of them so you can change them if needed.
Multifactor authentication is one of the best ways to make your passwords stronger. For example, employees could enter a password first, then the last three digits of their employee ID card, to gain access. Multifactor authentication is a very effective way to secure sensitive data. You can find many options; pick one that’s right for you.
6. Use Strong Authentication Tools
Making sure your users are whom they say they are about is the most important and the most obvious step that you can take to secure your cloud applications. The traditional usernames/password combination is no longer an effective way to manage authentication. Adding two-factor or multifactor verification to your application is the safest way to proceed. Ask your users to sign in with one or more different authentication methods on top of their usernames/password is an easy and efficient way to provide additional security around your logins.
7. Cloud Migration
Moving to the cloud should be gradual, deliberate, and careful. This is especially true if you’re planning to migrate critical and sensitive data to the cloud. Moving your data into the cloud makes it more likely to be vulnerable to breaches.
Your cloud service provider is solely responsible for the security of your data. It’s your job to ensure the data is safe, especially during cloud migration. Unfortunately, most business owners overlook their data security when moving to the cloud.
Conclusion
Many organizations struggle with cloud security issues, such as application security, data security, shadow IT, identity and access management, shared responsibility security models, and cyber attacks.
To ensure that your cloud planning is as successful as possible, you must engage certified cloud partners. By doing so, you will be able to identify any potential loopholes in your plan and take steps to address them before they become a problem.
Post courtesy: Steve Loyer, President, and CEO at Tech Group, LLC.
Apart from this, if you are interested to know about What is Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) and Why is it Important then visit our Business category.
