How to secure your cloud storage

There has been a significant shift towards cloud computing since the technological era has emerged; more and more businesses are adopting cloud-based solutions to store, process and manage their data. While the cloud offers many benefits, including flexibility, scalability and cost-efficiency, it also brings new security challenges. In this article, we will discuss cloud security, including the key factors that impact it, procedures and technology designed to address external and internal threats to business security.

Data Protection and identity management

Data protection is a critical aspect of cloud security. Businesses must ensure that their data is encrypted both when you send the sensitive data and when you store it. Encryption is the process of encoding data to make it unreadable to unauthorised users. Data encryption should be used to protect sensitive data such as financial information, personal data, and trade secrets.

Another significant element you can implement in your daily routine and cybersecurity is Identity and access management (IAM) which is the process of controlling access to cloud resources. IAM systems authenticate users so that your systems only are available to those it is relevant for. This way, you limit the access to resources for the individual user as per their role or job responsibility. IAM policies should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that access is appropriately controlled and in compliance with organisational policies.

Security and threat detection

Regular auditing of cloud resources is crucial to maintaining a proper secure cloud database. Security audits should be conducted to identify vulnerabilities, detect unauthorised access attempts, and ensure that security policies are being followed. Regular auditing also helps businesses stay compliant with industry regulations - being up to date with regulations ensures that you are up to date with cybersecurity threats.

Cloud systems should be configured securely to reduce the risk of cyberattacks. Security configurations include setting up firewalls, applying software updates, and disabling default accounts or passwords that are prone to attacks. You should thus minimise the attack surface in your company and the access points that hackers might have.

Threat detection is essential to detect and respond to potential security breaches in the cloud. Threat detection technologies such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems should be implemented to monitor and alert of suspicious activities and events in the cloud environment - this way you are alerted in real time and can thus react in time to minimise the damage.

Disaster Recovery and service providers

Disaster recovery is a critical aspect of cloud security. Businesses should have a disaster recovery plan in place to recover data and resume operations in case of a security breach, natural disaster or other disruptions that could cause any cyber risks. The disaster recovery plan should include regularly testing the recovery process to ensure that the plan is effective in case of a real disaster.

Selecting the right cloud service provider is crucial for cloud security. Businesses should conduct a thorough evaluation of the cloud service provider's security measures, certifications, and compliance with industry standards. Official agreements should be established to ensure that the provider meets the security and privacy requirements.

There are some risks associated with data stored on the cloud that should be considered, e.g.:

• Unstable WiFi can reduce the performance.
• If the software is outdated, hackers might find it easier to access the files.
• If unencrypted files are stored in the cloud, they are at greater risk - both for the person or organisation they regard, but also if the data is leaked. Leaked data is bad for any organisation.

To sum up…

Cloud Security is a critical aspect of modern business operations. Businesses must ensure that their data is protected, access is securely controlled, and threats are detected and responded to in a timely manner.

By implementing these measures and selecting the right cloud service provider, businesses can ensure that their cloud operations are secure, compliant with industry regulations, and resilient to potential security breaches.

One of the most important aspects of storing data is to store it correctly and safely. If you should lose any personal data or company information, it will look bad for the organisation’s reputation.

But by following safety procedures and knowing what to do in case of a data breach, you’re better able to prevent them - especially if you go through awareness training. By implementing this in your work routine, the hackers will find it close to impossible to infiltrate your systems.