Top 10 Cloud Security Checkpoints That Can Save Your Business

Rabiul Islam is a seasoned cybersecurity specialist. He is also the founder, CEO and managing director of TechForing Ltd.

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As cloud-based solutions are becoming increasingly popular, more and more organizations are adopting them. Business data is sensitive by nature, which is why protecting your business data from data breaches should be your top priority.

There are a number of key points to ensure your company’s data security. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 critical cloud security key points that you should consider for your business.

Each key point can help you protect your data and reduce the risk of a security breach. With the right procedures in place, you can rest assured that your data is protected and your business is running smoothly. Let’s take a look at these essential cloud security key points.

1. Identity And Access Management

Identity and access management (IAM) is the core of a secure cloud environment. According to Azure, cloud customers should use identity as the primary security perimeter, managing who has what access to which resources. Role-based access control can ensure that only authorized personnel have access to critical information.

IAM security measures include multifactor authentication (MFA) implementation, password management, role-based access controls, environment separation, creating and disabling credentials if needed and maintaining privileged account activity.

2. Cloud Data Security

Data security in the cloud environment considers data security in all states. Data must be secure at rest, in transit and during storage. The personnel interacting with the data should also be put into consideration.

This shared responsibility model defines interactions with cloud resources and the people responsible for data security. Proper encryption and key management solutions within cloud platforms are two critical components of cloud data security.

3. Operating System Security

Strengthening the operating system is crucial not just for securing cloud operations but also for general security. Regular updates and maintenance, proper configurations and patching methods strengthen an operating system’s security.

Staying current with system configuration requirements, scheduling maintenance windows and establishing a patch baseline are integral elements of cloud security. Organizations should remember to implement them, given the current cyber climate.

4. Design A Secure Cloud Network Architecture

Cloud technologies can provide agility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness, which can be lucrative qualities for any organization. Cloud technologies can also enable organizations to take data-informed decisions and adapt to market changes with rapid service delivery.

However, using cloud resources can also expose businesses and their data to risk. Securing cloud network architecture can allow organizations to take advantage of everything cloud technologies offer while mitigating exposure and vulnerabilities. Without a cloud security architecture, the potential risks can outweigh the benefits of using cloud technologies.

Securing cloud architecture includes developing a strategy during the blueprint and design process that is integrated into cloud platforms from the ground up. This strategy includes all of the hardware and technologies designed to protect data, workloads and systems within the cloud platforms.

While planning a cloud deployment, organizations should prepare themselves for common threats like malware and privilege-based attacks as well as high-profile threats such as insider threats, denial of service (DoS) attacks, vulnerabilities in remote facilities run by partners, hardware limitations, user errors, etc. Designing a secure cloud network architecture can help them with that.

5. Security Monitoring And Incident Alerts

Monitoring programs can give you the insight to recognize security incidents within your cloud infrastructure. Implementing an all-encompassing monitoring system is critical for operational oversight. Appropriate data points should be constantly analyzed for security information.

Implementing event management and proper correlation algorithms are also vital for cloud operations. You should also use the monitoring and logging features and enable notifications for unexpected configuration changes and authentication failures.

Regularly monitoring server activity can allow you to stay ahead of potential threats and spot issues that may be caused by security breaches. You can use this information to shut down threats before they escalate any further.

6. Data Encryption

Data encryption is the key to any successful cloud security strategy. Confidential data should be protected by an encryption key that only authorized users can access. This ensures that confidential data is protected from unauthorized users, even if the data is on a third-party server.

7. Use Multifactor Authentication

MFA is an effective tool for securing user accounts. It prompts users to provide a secondary form of authentication such as a PIN or biometric data. MFAs can help prevent unauthorized logins and prevent cybercriminals from accessing your systems.

It goes without saying, but even if your systems require MFA, you must use a strong password for your systems.

8. Regular Security Audits

Security audits can spot potential security issues before they become serious. Performing regular security audits can quickly identify any problems before they escalate into a severe data breach.

9. Securely Backup Your Data

Regularly backing up your systems is a vital security measure for any organization. Data backups can help prevent data loss. Data breaches can cause significant downtime and huge financial damage. Backing up your data can also help to minimize the impact of cyberattacks.

If you detect any suspicious activity, you can easily revert to a previous version to prevent an escalation. Last but not least, backing up can also allow you to recover any lost data quickly and efficiently.

10. Web Application Firewall

A web application firewall (WAF) can protect a website by blocking unwanted traffic from unauthorized sources, making it an effective barrier against cyber criminals. WAFs are useful for blocking unwanted traffic and malicious attempts to access sensitive data. WAFs can also help reduce the risk of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

Final Thoughts

No matter what level of cloud user you are, it’s important to make sure your devices and network are as secure as possible. You can secure your organization’s cyber infrastructure by having a good understanding of basic cybersecurity practices, paired with the key points we’ve mentioned in this article. By following these key points, you can rest assured that your data is safe and secure. Also, pair these key steps with a robust password management strategy for optimal results.

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