In a world where data is the lifeblood of most organisations, cybercrimes and data breaches have become the norm. In that case, businesses need to secure data from authorised access to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
Besides, in most countries, organisations collecting users’ personally identifiable information (PII) must comply with customer privacy and data security regulations. For instance, financial services, healthcare providers or gambling websites where online Powerball tickets are available are required by law to take all the necessary steps to ensure customer information is secure.
With cloud computing showing immense growth in popularity in the last few years, everyone is looking to jump on the bandwagon. While cloud computing has more benefits than traditional computing, it presents greater risks in terms of security and privacy.
With that in mind, here are the best practices for securing data in cloud services.
1. Work with a Reputable Cloud Services Provider
For starters, you will need to research various cloud provider companies to choose a reliable service. Ensure the company you work with has effective security measures in place to protect you against malware attacks and downtime.
To facilitate this, the service provider should have state-of-the-art encryption protocols like 256-bit AES and intrusion detection structures.
Also, check whether they comply with relevant data security standards like ISO 27001 (Infrastructure Security Standards), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and SOC2 (Service Organization Control).
2. Ensure Your Data is Encrypted
Data encryption is another best practice for ensuring the information stored in the cloud infrastructure is secure. The process involves converting data into a code that only authorised users can access. Basically, encrypting data renders it unreadable and useless to unauthorised personnel.
In that case, data encryption should be implemented during transmission and when it’s resting inside the cloud storage. End-to-end encryption lays the foundation of data security in cloud computing.
3. Have Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) in Place
An IDPS helps monitor and audit cloud activity. So, if there is any suspicious activity within the cloud infrastructure, the administrators will be able to respond accordingly.
An IDPS can function independently or with other security tools like firewalls. Here are excellent examples of add-ons on security services for protecting data in cloud storage:
- Azure Activity Logs
- AWS Cloud Trail
- Google Cloud Audit Logs
4. Use Secure APIs
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential for building software applications as they determine the format software applications use to communicate with each other. In that case, your APIs should be included with authentication and access control systems to guard them against unauthorised cloud storage access.
5. Back up Your Data Regularly
Backing up your data regularly plays a huge role in data recovery in the event of system failures or malware attacks. Therefore, ensure your information is stored in a reliable and secure data recovery facility. Also, monitor the restoration process frequently to ensure the backup system functions optimally.
6. Update Your Software and Firmware Regularly
Keeping your software and firmware up-to-date helps reduce cybercrime vulnerabilities that could exist in your data storage facilities. Attackers can exploit any vulnerabilities they come across to hurt your business reputation.
Besides, regular software and firmware updates help maintain and optimise their performance.
7. Educate Your Employees About Cloud Computing Best Practices
Private Cloud services differ from their public counterparts regarding security responsibilities. In the former, cloud service providers assume full responsibility for securing the cloud infrastructure, while in the latter, the cloud customer is responsible for cloud security since it is based on the shared responsibility model.
Therefore, based on the deployment model you choose for cloud computing, ensure you educate your employees on these principles to ensure they are familiar with the intricacies surrounding cloud storage.
Train them on the best practices for securing information in your organisation, including detecting and reporting suspicious activities within the cloud system and what to do in the event of data breaches.
Final Word
Whether you are using a private cloud service or a public one, data protection remains a shared responsibility. Use the cloud computing best practices above to familiarise yourself with the intricacies of data security and achieve excellent clown security in your organisation.
Consider researching more on this subject to ensure you don’t become a victim of malware attack and comply with regulations around cloud computing.
