Pervasive Nature Of Cloud Storage
Today’s technology providers will more often than not will adopt a “cloud first” approach to where they store your data, meaning they will by default and design use some form of cloud storage to keep your files on remote servers so they can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection—including smartphones and tablets.
Cloud storage providers offer different types of services, such as file sharing or backup solutions. With this cloud first design principal comes a broad range of direct and indirect risks, many of a cybersecurity nature.
Common Cloud Storage Risks
The list of potential risks are almost endless, but some examples of the more common types which carry the highest impact seen impacting organisations of all types and size recently are:
- Data breaches: Cloud storage can be a target for hackers and cybercriminals, who can gain access to your company’s sensitive or proprietary data.
- Malware attacks: Malware is malicious software that infects computers, devices and networks with the intent of stealing information or damaging systems. Malware attacks targeting cloud storage providers are becoming more common as hackers look for ways to steal data from companies using these services.
- Insider threats: Cloud service providers often have access to sensitive information about customers’ businesses–including customer lists, financial details, intellectual property and more–which could be used by insiders with malicious intent if they were able to gain access through their own accounts or those belonging to other employees at the organisation using the same provider (e.,g., Salesforce).
- Loss of control: Companies may find themselves unable/unwilling in some cases (such as during mergers) where there’s no longer any need for them having full control over their data anymore once it’s been uploaded into cloud storage systems like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure because these platforms provide security features such as encryption at rest.
How To Minimise Cloud Storage Risks
Key considerations when looking to minimise your cloud storage risks include the likes of:
- Choose a reputable provider with a proven track record.
- Implement strong authentication throughout your organisation.
- Utilise encryption and other security controls to protect data at rest, in transit and in use.
- Monitor user activity for suspicious behaviour that could indicate an attack or breach has occurred.
Responding to a Cloud Storage Breach
If you do experience a breach, here’s what to do:
- Identify the source of the breach. This is often not as easy as it sounds. In many cases, hackers use multiple servers and IP addresses in order to mask their identity and location. Additionally, they may try to cover their tracks by deleting logs or changing passwords after accessing sensitive information. You should also be aware that some types of malware can infect your network without leaving any traces behind at all!
- Notify affected parties immediately after discovering an incident has occurred (or even before). This step is critical because it allows people who may have been affected by this breach time to take action before more damage occurs–and also helps prevent panic from spreading throughout your organisation if word gets out too soon about what happened without being able to explain exactly why yet or how serious things might get before everyone knows everything they need about this situation firsthand rather than secondhand through rumours online which may not always reflect reality accurately enough for comfort levels among employees/customers/etcetera depending on where along spectrum between “worried”/”scared”/”panicked”/”terrified” lies each individual person involved here.
Best Practices for Cloud Storage Security
- Create a secure environment by default, based on good security policies and corporate governance.
- Train employees. Your staff are often your first line of defence, and as such security related education is always a good investment in security & protecting your data and digital assets.
- Utilise multi-factor authentication (MFA), where possible, to protect data and applications. MFA is the use of two or more methods to authenticate users before they can access sensitive information or perform certain actions on your systems and networks, such as accessing email accounts or signing into cloud platforms or applications & services.
- Regularly review access rights for all users who have access to your cloud storage resources so you can ensure only those with legitimate business needs are granted access; this includes contractors who work with sensitive information in the cloud.
- Monitor user activity on key systems such as payroll processing software programs that store sensitive employee data in order to detect any unusual behaviour that could indicate unauthorised access attempts by hackers.
Benefits of Cloud Storage Security Solutions
The benefits of cloud storage security solutions include:
- Reduced risk of data breaches. Cloud platform providers will have large teams of security experts focused on security, where as most organisations may have one person tasked with managing cybersecurity or at best a small team by comparison.
- Cloud storage can be accessed from anywhere, which means that your organisation’s sensitive data is at risk of being stolen if not properly secured. A cloud storage security solution will help you to reduce this risk by providing strong encryption and authentication processes, as well as monitoring for suspicious activity on the network, in a central location often more easily controlled and kept secure.
- Enhanced user access control. Users who have been granted access to a specific file or folder can only see what they’re allowed to see–they won’t be able to access other files without permission from an administrator or another user who has been granted access rights by an administrator (e.g., viewing rights). This helps prevent accidental disclosure or intentional misuse of information contained within those files/folders by unauthorised individuals within your organisation’s network environment.
Types of Cloud Storage Security Solutions
There are many types of cloud storage security solutions that can be used to protect your data. Data loss prevention (DLP) is a method of preventing the unauthorised disclosure or distribution of sensitive information. Identity and access management (IAM) refers to the process of managing user accounts and credentials in order to control access rights and privileges.
Encryption is a method used to transform data into another form (i.e., cipher-text) so that only authorised parties can read it; decryption reverses this process, allowing users access without compromising sensitive information or systems. Firewalls are hardware or software systems designed specifically for controlling network traffic between networks by monitoring incoming messages for malicious content before allowing them through. Cloud storage solutions usually have some form of firewall style protection and access control built in.
Choosing the Right Cloud Storage Security Solution
When it comes to choosing the right cloud storage security solution, there are many factors to consider. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:
- What are my needs? Do I need to protect just one or two devices or do I need to secure an entire network of computers and servers?
- What features and benefits does this product offer me? Does it come with data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities that will help prevent sensitive information from being leaked through email attachments or shared files on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter? Or does it have built-in malware protection so I don’t have to worry about viruses infecting my computer when using public Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops or airports while traveling abroad.
- How much will this cost me per month/year? Is there an upfront fee required before signing up for service with this provider; if so how much does that cost compared with other providers who offer similar services without requiring any upfront fees whatsoever.”
Benefits of Professional Cloud Storage Security Services
With the right cloud security services, you can rest assured that your data is safe and secure. Our team of experts will work with you to create a customised plan that meets your needs. Our solutions include:
- Expert guidance and advice – security experts work closely with you to develop a strategy that meets all of your requirements.
- Comprehensive security solutions – a good security solution provider will offer a full range of products and services, including encryption key management systems (EKMS), data loss prevention (DLP) solutions, intrusion detection systems (IDS), firewalls, vulnerability scanning tools and more.
- Regular security reviews – ensure your staff of service provider perform regular audits on all aspects of your environments and if appropriate your clients’ environments – including physical infrastructure as well as virtual environments – so you know exactly how vulnerable you are before an attack occurs. This allows your organisation to identify any potential threats before they become real problems for your organisation as well as your clients and their businesses or organisations.
Conclusion
Cloud storage security is an area of serious concern for organisations. If you’re looking to ensure that your data is safe and secure, it’s important to take steps towards protecting it. There are many ways in which cloud storage can be compromised, so it’s critical that you have a plan in place before any incidents occur.
Cloud services provide an easy way of storing data remotely without having the expense or hassle of maintaining servers yourself. However, this convenience comes at a cost: if hackers get into your account and gain access to the information contained therein, they could be able to steal sensitive information such as financial details or private communications between employees.
To avoid these risks altogether (or at least minimise them), consider using professional cloud storage security services instead of doing everything yourself, they will work with you so that you can remain focused on your core business.