With the rapid growth of cloud technology, cloud security has become a major concern. In a recent survey, 99% of companies stated security was an important element in their cloud native strategy. As businesses and organizations increasingly rely on cloud-based services, they need to ensure their data is secure and protected from cyber threats.
Unfortunately, there are a number of common cloud security challenges that can put your data at risk. While many of these risks can be mitigated with proper planning, it’s important to understand the common cloud security challenges so you can address them head on.
Why is cloud security important?
First and foremost, the cloud is where most of the business data is stored today. Many businesses are becoming increasingly dependent on the cloud, which offers many benefits, such as lower costs and increased agility. Cloud services provide businesses with the ability to store, manage, and access data from anywhere in the world, making them attractive targets for malicious actors. As such, cloud security is essential for protecting businesses from data theft, fraud, and other cyber-attacks.
As a result, you need to ensure the data stored in the cloud is protected, as there is heightened risk of it being stolen or misused. If a breach occurs, it could result in significant damage and may also put your organization’s data security at risk.
Cloud security involves the implementation of measures to protect data stored on cloud storage solutions and networks. These measures include authentication systems, encryption, identity and access management, and firewalls.
Identity, credential, and access management
Identifying users and managing credentials is critical to any type of security. The ability to control access to sensitive data is an important aspect of cloud security. Cloud providers typically don’t store users’ credentials. Instead, they store identities and permissions. As such, managing identities and permissions is a key aspect of cloud security.
Along this line, it’s important to follow best practices when managing identities and permissions. This includes identifying which users or devices have access to which resources. You can’t control access to sensitive data if you don’t know who is accessing it.
To ensure user data is safe and secure, organizations should employ the use of Identity Access Management (IAM), which allows organizations to control who has access to their systems, when they have access, and what they can do with that access. One of the most important components of IAM is the use of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA requires users to provide two or more credentials to prove their identity.
External data sharing
Anytime your company decides to make its data accessible through the cloud, you are taking the risk this data could be accessed by third parties. This increases the risk of a data breach, as it is easier for an unauthorized user to gain access to the data; it also increases the risk of data loss. If the data is not properly backed up, then it can be easily lost if there is an issue with the cloud environment.
This external data sharing risk is best avoided by only sharing data that is necessary for business purposes, as well as ensuring all data is encrypted prior to sharing. This means even if the data is intercepted by an unauthorized user, they will not be able to read the data without the decryption key.
In addition, you can also use data protection solutions, such as data transfer prevention (DTP), to help minimize the risk of third parties accessing your data.
Reduced visibility of cloud environment
The cloud environment is more exposed than traditional IT systems, creating a challenge for organizations to have clear visibility over their data and assets. Security teams must ensure the cloud environment is secure and data is not being misused or stolen. This requires an understanding of the cloud environment and its security controls.
To ensure the cloud environment is secure against data theft, implement proper security controls, such as IAM, data encryption, and activity monitoring to detect any suspicious activity or unauthorized access. Security analytics and log management tools will monitor and analyze cloud activity for any abnormal behaviour. In addition, regularly auditing your cloud environment will ensure the security controls are working as expected.
Implement the right cloud cybersecurity tools and software to keep your data safe
Cloud security is a complex issue, and there are many factors to consider when implementing a cloud security strategy. It is important to understand the risks associated with storing and accessing data in the cloud, and to ensure all cloud security policies are up-to-date. By taking the necessary steps to protect data, your business can prevent data theft and ensure the data remains secure.
The cloud security team at BCS365 can audit your cloud environment, advise you on the right security tools and policies to implement, and deploy the solutions for optimal security.