If you have decided to move over to cloud computing instead of having all the hardware on-site, this might be the greatest business decision of your career. However, using cloud solutions does not diminish the importance of data security. It is still very important for you to protect the data you’ve gathered on clients and other business practices from cyberattacks.
At the same time, you need to ensure that the data stays safe even when it gets lost somehow. You might be wondering about how to adopt data protection measures for the cloud? Here are seven ways to do this efficiently for the best results:
USING DEDICATED HARDWARE
When choosing a cloud solutions provider, it is important to know if they will handle your data using dedicated hardware or not. The reason why is that using different pieces of hardware increases the chances of endangering customer data. Therefore, speak to the cloud services provider you are working with and ask them to verify that you’re using dedicated hardware.
According to a science and technology online assignment help contributor, knowing where your data is stored gives you peace of mind that it is secure. It also helps you understand that when the time comes to terminate the services of the cloud solutions provider, everything will be erased and there won’t be pieces everywhere. Therefore, make sure you know which hardware processes and stores the data you’re using for a secure cloud solution service.
PENETRATION TESTING
Penetration testing is a great method of ensuring that the data you are storing is safe and secure. Many skilled ethical hackers are willing to do this job for you. Request the services of an ethical hacker to try and spot any inefficiencies in the service you are receiving from the cloud services provider.
As various IT experts state, a penetration tester will spot flaws that need to be fixed before cyber attackers can exploit them. Of course, you will need the permission of the cloud services provider and some may not like the idea. However, you need to know the level of security you’re dealing with and there is no other better way to do it apart from penetration testing.
ENSURE THE SERVICE PROVIDER’S DATA POLICY MATCHES YOURS
To stay true to the promises you have made to customers or users that have entrusted their data with you, having a data protection policy is important. It is also important to have a privacy policy that you will adhere to.
The experts from the best paper writing services say that when creating the data policy, ensure that it matches the one from the cloud service provider. This will remove any liability in the event of a safety breach.
If possible, negotiate that they update their data policies to match yours. That will allow you to have a service that stays true to what was promised to customers. Also, update your privacy policy and mention that you use cloud services for transparency purposes. Mention the security policies that are used by the cloud services provider.
SECURING DEVICES ON YOUR END
Often, people believe that cloud services are attacked by brute force or other flaws in the system. It is hard to believe that a security breach could be your fault.
That is why people who use cloud services usually neglect implementing security protocols on their end. One great example of this is by ignoring end-user device securities. To tighten security measures, implement strict security protocols on end-user devices.
When the end-users are secure, the chances of them becoming a loophole in the security of your cloud service lessens. You can set secure systems using industry-grade security systems such as firewall, antivirus, antimalware, and others. Using these security measures will strengthen the service of the overall cloud solution.
IMPLEMENTING 2FA ON CLOUD SYSTEMS
Two-factor authentication is a solution that was designed for efficient security measures. This security feature was designed specifically for control access. By controlling access accurately, there will be limited chances of the system being hacked by using the credentials of one of your employees.
Various two-factor authentication systems can be implemented on cloud solutions. Some of them are quite convenient and are designed by trusted security experts.
One of the most prominent 2FA systems is a Microsoft Authenticator app. It can be integrated with almost any system effectively and generates a one-time passcode (OTP) every 30 seconds for secure access control. This additional feature can do a great deal of good in adapting healthy data protection habits to the cloud system you are using.
CREATING A BACKUP SYSTEM
Another common misconception people have about cloud systems is that it comes with a backup system automatically. That is not true because if the cloud service provider you are using loses its data that’s not backed up, you’ll also lose everything stored on it. Therefore, it is important to get a third-party backup system provider to recover any lost data.
Using the same service provider for backup poses a great risk because it might also be penetrated and held using ransomware. It can also help protect data damaged by storms, floods, or other natural causes. Additionally, when the cloud service provider exits a business, the data will be safe with an independent third-party backup system.
USING A STRICT EXIT STRATEGY FOR EMPLOYEES
Perhaps you have seen this happen in Hollywood movies when a disgruntled employee becomes destructive towards the business. This can happen in real life after laying off an employee and he/she leaves angry and dissatisfied. They might resort to selling company secrets to the highest bidder.
To prevent this from happening, you should implement a strict exit strategy for all employees being released from the company. Ensure that all access control is taken off from the employee and that there is nothing that can lead to a data breach.
That might include passwords, security certificates, email accounts, remote logins, hard disks, key fobs, security cards, and any other thing that can provide access to privileged data. Enforcing this will lead to better data security for client information and other privileged knowledge and resources.
THE BOTTOM LINE
You can adapt data protection protocols to cloud services by tightening access control solutions using 2FA and having a strict exit strategy for employees. At the same time, do not neglect to strengthen security on end-user devices because they might be a loophole. Also, hire a penetration tester with the approval of the service provider to ensure that you are safe from almost all kinds of cyberattacks that might occur as time goes on.
