How Can I Protect My Data in the Cloud?

 

Cloud storage is the norm for many online businesses nowadays, and it’s undeniable that the advent of cloud computing and storage has led to meaningful improvements in the IT space. 

However, data protection in the cloud comes with its share of challenges and potential threats, which is why it’s critical to ensure you’re doing everything possible to keep that data protected.

Understanding Cloud Data Security

What is Cloud Data Security?

There are two key aspects to cloud data security: the first is the security that’s enabled by the cloud data provider, and the second involves the security measures you, as an individual or business, take to keep the data protected. 

An example of a cloud data service is Microsoft’s OneDrive for document, photo, and file backups. Microsoft has its own security protocols and functions to help secure its cloud data centres in general.

On the business cyber security front, these include how you keep your files additionally secure through measures like sophisticated passwords, two-factor authentication, encrypting files, limiting permissions as to who can access the data, etc.

Common Risks of Storing Data in the Cloud

Many risks exist for any online service, including when it comes to cloud data storage providers. The most relevant risks for any business or individual, though, is the potential of hacks or data breaches that could allow others to gain access to sensitive data or information that’s been stored in the cloud.

Key Strategies to Protect Your Data in the Cloud

When it comes to actionable steps you can take to improve security for your cloud services and make it harder for hackers or cybercriminals to crack, make sure you implement the following:

Use Strong and Unique Passwords

We know this is the most obvious suggestion, but plenty of people and businesses can still fail to implement strong, unique passwords across their accounts. When it comes to protecting sensitive data that’s locked away in the cloud, you’ll want a password that is as close to impossible for anyone to crack and that is specifically unique to the cloud storage account.

It’s best to avoid anything that has personal meaning to you, other staff, or the business in general (e.g. including the year your business was founded in the password). We strongly recommend using a reputable password generator that can provide you with a completely randomised and near-impossible-to-crack password.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

In this day and age, 2FA isn’t just a recommended practice – it’s an absolute must. Most online services that handle sensitive data include 2FA in their security options, and this includes cloud data storage providers. 

Take full advantage of these features. Ideally, aim to make use of an authentication app (such as a random code generator) rather than having a code sent to you via text or email, as these avenues can still be exploited more easily by skilled hackers.

Encrypt Your Data Before Uploading

Go an extra step further with protecting your data by encrypting it before uploading to the cloud. There are a lot of options when it comes to data encryption software and features, and some of these are provided by major companies like Microsoft and Kaspersky.

Essentially, you can encrypt sensitive files, upload the data, and then others can access and decrypt the files with an associated key that’s created by the encryption software. That way, if a hacker or cybercriminal gets their hands on the encrypted files, it will be almost impossible for them to decrypt unless they have access to the associated key.

Stay Apprised of Your Cloud Security Settings

It’s always worth revisiting your cloud security settings from time to time, especially as different providers can introduce new features or measures that can enhance the robustness of their security architecture. Every couple of months, check settings to see if any new additional features are available to leverage for heightened security.

Manage Access and Permissions Carefully

When multiple people have access to your business’s cloud data, you want to ensure only those who absolutely need access have it. That’s why you should always be mindful of who has access and the degree of access (permissions) they have.

You can also implement a zero trust architecture, wherein everyone who has access needs to reverify their credentials every single time they log in to the cloud data storage. 

Choosing a Secure Cloud Service Provider

Good cloud security is also heavily dependent on the provider itself. You want to ensure you’re signing up with a reputable provider that has a strong history of managing cyber threats and keeping users’ sensitive data out of the hands of cybercriminals.

The Importance of Compliance and Certifications

First, you’ll want to ensure that the cloud service provider you opt for is compliant with all key cybersecurity requirements on both a local and international level, and that they have all key certifications. Many of these certifications are tied to major companies and platforms, including:

 

• • Microsoft Azure certification (Microsoft’s major cloud computing platform)

• • Google Cloud certification

• • AWS (Amazon Web Services) Architect and Certified Developer

Providers that have certification across these major platforms and who remain compliant with industry standards are a good place to start.

Comparing Cloud Security Features Across Providers

Take time to compare the different providers and assess how comprehensive and reliable their cloud security features are. Not only should you look at the information they provide, but also read up on their history with cloud security and how they’ve performed when stacked up against each other.

Best Practices for Ongoing Cloud Security

To ensure your cloud security stays in good shape for the long term, we highly recommend the following practices:

Monitor Your Cloud Storage Activity

While you don’t have to do this every day, it’s best to check in on any activity from time to time. By doing so, you’ll be able to see if any unusual activity crops up, like logins from unfamiliar locations or any downloads, file changes or updates that were not requested. You can then respond accordingly to remove permissions, change the password, or implement additional multifactor security features.

Regular Backups to Avoid Data Loss

While cloud storage helps simplify the backup process for your most important files and data, it shouldn’t be your only means of keeping copies. Regular local backups to a hard drive or expandable storage are an absolute must. 

Not only does this ensure you’ll still have access to your most important files if cloud storage becomes inaccessible (such as the provider having a backend issue), but it also keeps these files accessible should anyone manage to hack your cloud storage and compromise your data protection. 

Stay Aware of Phishing and Cyber Threats

Finally, stay aware of the range of phishing scams and cyber threats that are out there. This doesn’t mean you need to be reading about new threats every single day, but it’s important to know what’s going on and the various methods that hackers use to hijack your information or steal it from you directly through efforts like social engineering.

By staying aware, you can also keep fellow peers and employees aware of what’s out there so they don’t fall victim to a sophisticated cyber threat or attack.

To learn more about protecting your cloud data or to see how we can help your business secure your online data, get in touch with the Setup4 team today.