Keeping your cloud environment secure has become necessary with the rise of cyber-attacks and threats. Businesses are accelerating digital transformation. Even small enterprises are eager to adopt various cloud solutions. That's why cloud security is vital. These include technologies, controls, and policies to protect infrastructure services, applications, and data. Data breaches and identity theft can be detrimental to any business. Cloud infrastructure is very different from your on-premises data center. So the traditional security strategies and tools will not be effective. Some third-party cloud security providers can help you secure cloud operations at a cost. Keeping the proper mechanisms in place ensures all the assets are protected, and you can focus on growing your organization. If you are just learning about cloud security, here are some things you should know.
Aspects of Cloud Security
These are some aspects to consider when selecting a cloud security provider. Which are the most important will of course depend on your specific needs.
- Visibility And Monitoring - This helps spot network issues and suspicious activities. You will get alerts whenever there is suspicion of security threats, and your IT professionals can act accordingly. Visibility helps the organization stay informed about network activities.
- Data backup - Ensure your provider offers data backups as well. Investing in data loss prevention comes in handy in case a hacker successfully infiltrates your infrastructure. As you resolve the issues, you can continue doing business with the data you backed up.
- Encryption - Encryption ensures that data is only understood by the authorized or concerned authorities. Two-step authentication can also keep hackers from accessing sensitive information. The business needs to implement a centralized login system.
- Scalability - If you are a growing enterprise, you need cloud computing solutions that can quickly adapt to the ever-changing workload. That's what reliable cloud security should offer so that you won't have to change providers every time you experience a slight change.
- Compliance - Analyze compliance because different countries have different data privacy regulations. You must adequately protect the users' data to avoid fines and other implications from the authorities.
Common Threats Dealt With
Cyber attackers have managed to exploit vulnerabilities a lot of times. Learning about the common threats ensures you don’t fall victim to a hacker.
- Misconfiguration - This is among the leading causes of data breaches in the cloud computing environment. Ensuring data is only accessible to authorized people is difficult when cloud infrastructure allows data sharing. Unauthorized access can lead to data loss, among other things.
- Insider Threats - The worst kind of cyber threat is the one that comes from within the organization. If you have an untrusted employee, they can easily threaten the company network. It doesn't help when they know where your cyber security vulnerabilities are.
- Insecure Interfaces or APIs - If you offer application programming interfaces for customers, cybercriminals can exploit potential risks and use them to access your infrastructure. That's why it's crucial to ensure APIs are properly secured.
- Account Takeover - Sometimes a hacker will hijack your accounts and cripple functions at the companies. Do not underestimate the impact of phishing attacks. Ensure you have high-quality passwords to keep off attackers.
Companies Offering Cloud Security
If you scour the internet, various companies offer free cloud security services. But these usually aren't very advanced. You must invest when you need a more secure technology for your assets. Cloud security leading providers offer different tools and technologies depending on your needs. Not every company will deliver on its promises, so doing some research goes a long way. To get you started, these are some cybersecurity companies that should be on your radar:
- Symantec
- Lacework
- Cypher
- Intruder
- Qualys
- Skyhigh
- Tenable
- Palo Alto
- Trend Micro
When you adopt cloud computing solutions, you can't do away with cloud security threats. Technological innovations have gone a long way, but cybercriminals keep developing new ways to cause havoc. Find a reliable, secure, scalable provider with the right security tools.
