In today’s digital age, data is everywhere and anywhere. The cloud has introduced new ways of storing, accessing, and sharing digital information. New technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and machine learning are fuelling the adoption of the cloud by businesses at an exponential rate.
However, as more businesses move their data to cloud storage services, cybersecurity professionals are raising concerns about how to keep this data safe from cyber criminals. Given that security is a top priority for many businesses, here are the 5 cloud security tips to employ to protect an entity from potential cyber threats.
1. Governance and compliance
Data governance and compliance management are integral to any cybersecurity strategy. Your organisation should stay abreast of federal, international, and industry-specific security regulations to remain compliant. This is because the penalties and fees associated with non-compliance can be expensive.
For example, the Personal Data Protection Act of Singapore requires businesses to protect citizen data privacy when they engage with third parties online. To uphold the PDPA’s obligations, businesses should govern their data use and implement a compliance program. PDPA violations can result in severe monetary penalties.
Keeping your data-centric security protocols up to date with regular data and cybersecurity audits will ensure no threats are overlooked. Providing information security training to your teams will also improve your cybersecurity risk management skills and reduce the chance of internal leaks.
2. Patch your systems
Forethought is required for this task. Due to the fluid landscape of systems, organisations often fail to patch their systems. They don’t know how many active systems they have in their inventory. The company might not know all the different versions of software on their platforms; a patch for one version of an operating system might break the application on top.
Using threat intelligence, you can receive automatic notifications when applications with high-value assets require patches to avoid being exploited. Additionally, a reboot is needed if a patch requires a reboot on a system that is not permitted to reboot.
3. Use end-to-end encryption
To prevent direct access to the data, additional protections such as threat detection can be baked into the workflow. If a cybercriminal obtains credentials and accesses sensitive data, repeated or anomalous requests, such as attempting to access data in bulk, will generate security alerts or block access based on real-time anomaly detection.
By emphasising key attributes rather than data and maintaining encryption, it is possible to protect archived copies and decrease space and disk use. In this manner, hackers can do less harm if they steal credentials or employ insider threats.
4. Data control and sharing
Data sharing is made easy with the cloud. With many clouds, you can invite collaborators via email or share a link that enables anyone with the URL to access the shared file.
This ease of data sharing can be an asset, but it can also pose a major cloud security threat. Using link-based sharing, a popular option as it is easy to invite each collaborator, makes it difficult to control access to shared resources. The shared link can be forwarded to another person – stolen as part of a cyberattack or guessed by a cybercriminal – allowing unauthorised access to the shared resource. It is also impossible to revoke access to only one recipient of a link-based sharing.
5. Identity and access management
IAM allows you to restrict who has access to specific data by authorising users. It can be a daunting undertaking when access is not managed appropriately. Assigning permissions per user is acceptable for a start-up, but it does not scale effectively. For any corporation larger than a small local store, it is vital to centrally regulate access based on identity. Active Directory and Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) simplify user access through centralised management.
Conclusion
The cloud is an excellent way to store and exchange data, but it can also pose security issues. Following these guidelines will allow you to better protect your data while reaping the benefits of the cloud. With these tips in mind, you can be sure that your data is secure while it is in the cloud.
SEMNet is an experienced cybersecurity and IT infrastructure consulting firm that helps increase performance, reduce risks, and increase efficiency across your IT infrastructure. Our services include Cyber Risk Assessment x Security Monitoring & Analytics, AI Automated Security Training, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), vulnerability management solution, End Point EDR / Patch Management, and enterprise email security solutions in Singapore. You can be assured that your security is in capable hands with our services. Please contact us today for more information about our company and our products.