7 Best Ways to Improve Cloud Data Security

The implication of the new shift to cloud computing by enterprises and agencies, has given rise to a serious need for cloud data security, especially as traditional security models that relied on network-based segmentation become increasingly outdated.

As adoption of cloud computing gain popularity, so also did the security issues threaten the cloud environment increases. As companies migrate to the cloud, cloud data security along with data protection should be a matter of urgency as well as having the understanding that cloud data security involves far more than simply data encryption.

What is Data Security?

Data security in cloud computing is the act of putting in place specific measures, controls and standard policies in a bid to protect organization’s digital information stored on public, private or hybrid cloud against  any threats that could jeopardize data integrity. Data security should be a matter of importance to organizations because a breach can have serious repercussions to the business continuity of that particular organization.

Top cloud data security threats affecting data stored in the cloud include the following:

  • API vulnerabilities
  • malware infections
  • insufficient identity and access management controls
  • insider threat
  • data loss
  • data breaches

7 Best Ways to Improve Cloud Data Security

  1. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): this is one of the cheapest and most effective security controls that can be deploy to keep hackers from accessing your cloud applications. MFA ensures that only verified users can access cloud applications by requiring an extra form of authentication – such that a user is requested to present two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism before granted access.
  2. Manage Your User Access: restrict access to your cloud infrastructure to only employees who really need to work on the platform to limit insider threat. Set up proper levels of authorization within your organization to ensure that each employee can only view or manipulate the applications or data necessary for each individual to do their job.
  3. Deploy Automated Solutions to Detect Intruders: monitoring and analysis of end user activities can help identify abnormal activities which could lead to a breach in cloud data security. There are many software solutions that can help out with this, including automated 24/7 networking monitoring and management as well as some advance cyber security solutions.
  4. Adequate Off-boarding Process: whenever an employee leaves your company, ensure that they no longer have access to every of your cloud infrastructure.
  5. Use Cloud Automation: The more organizations can take the human element off their network infrastructure processes the fewer mistakes and incidents of malicious harm will occur. The more automation you can implement as a company the better to help reduce network and communication downtime, loss of data, and hacking attempts.
  6. Invest in Backup solutions: while it is very important to protect cloud data from security threats by putting in place necessary security measures, organization should also employ the strategy of keeping a copy of their virtual file or database on a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe to ensure business continuity. There are various available cloud backup solutions that covers both the private, public and hybrid cloud environment.
  7. Disaster recovery (DR) plans: disasters such as earthquake, flood, fire outbreak are hard to predict or know when they will occur and how serious their impact will be. Creating, testing, and updating a DR plan can prepare organizations for unexpected disaster and ensure safety of data and other infrastructure as well as continuity for your business.

Conclusion

Regardless of the size of a company, there should be a dedicated security team in place to ensure adequate cloud data security especially because of the serious repercussions that security threats come with. Podtech design and manage good Disaster recovery (DR) plans and backup solutions to ensure adequate cloud data security, contact us for more details.

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