With data breaches and cyberattacks on the rise, many businesses are addressing cybersecurity issues and investing in new ways to secure their data. But what about the cloud?
Most modern companies have invested heavily in cloud computing and are moving more and more of their workloads there. But is data truly protected in the cloud, or are their security flaws people have been overlooking?
Let’s find out.
The Shift to the Cloud
In recent years, cloud storage has proved to be an economical way for businesses to shift core business to cloud-based platforms. Cloud services have been relied on as secure, scalable solutions, and have seen rapid development in a relatively short space of time.
There are public and private cloud options, but with private cloud solutions often being more expensive, most businesses opt to compute within the public cloud. In addition, many businesses moved quickly to the cloud without sufficient planning. Because of this, there have been some substantial concerns raised about the integrity of cloud storage and its associated security risks.
How Secure is the Cloud?
While cloud security in general is deemed adequate, it’s certainly not foolproof—especially without the proper implementation and management.
In the height of the pandemic, many organizations adopted cloud technology very quickly and somewhat haphazardly. In doing so, they caused weaknesses in the security of sensitive data, specifically PII-type information.
Even for those who securely transitioned to the cloud, hackers are using techniques such as automation and brute force attacks to illegally gain access to sensitive data stored there. Without proper upkeep and patching, the cloud could put your business’s information in a vulnerable position.
What Is Personal Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is data that can be used to identify a particular individual. The scope of what is considered PII has expanded to cover IP addresses, social security numbers, login details, digital images and social media posts.
When transitioning to the cloud, it’s critical that PII stay protected during and after the process. Many businesses recognized the cloud as an efficient and cost-effective way to secure valuable data and quickly migrated without the proper planning and security.
To protect PII, businesses must have a dedicated IT team or outsourced IT provider who can plan a secure migration and manage their cloud solutions round the clock. Without regular updates and patching, businesses are left at risk.
Is Cloud Data Storage More Secure than On-Premise?
Cloud data storage has a range of benefits that on-premise storage can’t compete with including reliability, flexibility and ease of maintenance. It’s a hassle-free way of storing data and can save businesses a lot of time and money.
But sometimes the security of on-premise services can seem superior, leaving business leaders wondering if they ever should have switched the cloud.
Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice the benefits of the cloud for your company’s security. The cloud can be highly secure if managed properly, whether public or private. In reality, the cloud is a superior alternative to on-prem solutions—not just for flexibility’s sake, but also to save money and reduce downtime. With the right security solutions, your cloud infrastructure can be just as secure if not more secure than an on-prem solution.
How To Keep Data Protected In The Cloud?
Now you know the cloud can be exceptionally secure—but how do you do it? Here are some of the main ways you can ensure your data is protected in the cloud.
Encrypt Data
One of the best ways to keep your data protected in the cloud is using a service that encrypts information. Data stored on the cloud as well as local data should be secured with end-to-end encryption to ensure that unauthorized third parties don’t have access to your data.
Establish Data-Centric Security Programs
In the last few years, data-centric security programs have become more popular, which focus on securing data where it’s stored and processed rather than hardware and network-based security controls. Data-centric security programs rely on a zero-trust approach by limiting access and increasing authorization standards.
Outsource Cloud Services to a Managed Service Provider
It’s critical to have a dedicated professional team that oversees cloud patch management to make sure that no new threats or vulnerabilities can compromise the sensitive data you host within the cloud. A Managed Service Provider who specializes in cloud security will ensure your cloud migration and management are performed securely.
Conclusion
Cloud-based storage is certainly a great way to store important data and has a multitude of benefits, but on its own, it isn’t 100% secure.
Sensitive or (PII) data should either be encrypted or stored on-premise to strengthen defenses and add crucial layers to your security strategy. An outsourced or in-house IT team should be tasked with overseeing your cloud computing infrastructure at all times to protect it against emerging threats.
To learn more about our cloud solutions and security at AIS, contact our experts today.