How to improve your Cloud Security? 5 Tips for 2020

Did you know that it takes over 6 months for a company to notice that they have a data breach?

As organizations migrate to the cloud, they become more and more susceptible to poor cloud security. This, in turn, puts them at the risk of their critical data being lost or stolen.

To address these vulnerabilities, cloud service providers have implemented new security features, taken up procedures and employed more robust tools to better combat the rising threats and cyber-attacks.

However, the responsibility of ensuring end-to-end security of critical data resides with the organizations as well.

So how can you ensure that your business is protected and that you’ve taken the best possible approach to secure your systems? Find below our top tips to improving your cloud security in 2020 –

Make use of authentication tools –

Data breaches are often caused when hackers gain access to user credentials and misuse them. An easy way to combat this is by employing a multi-factor authentication tool.

An MFA requires more than one form of verification to confirm the validity of an operation. These tools are not only one of the most effective methods of augmenting your organizational security, but also among the cheapest options available.

Manage user access and permissions –

Prevent unintentional leaks by setting up the proper permissions for your users. This will ensure that your employees have access only to authorized applications and documents.

This reduces the probability of any unintentional leaks from within your company’s workforce and networks.

Keep a check on your network –

Monitor and run regular checks on the users logged into your company network. This can ensure that all breaches are swiftly identified and nullified with the proper course of action.

For instance, if a hacker logs into your network via an unauthorized id or device, it would be advisable to detect the intrusion early, to mitigate the attack with your own fixes.

Additionally, having a user log in place will help in the analysis and reporting in the case of a serious attack on your resources.

Encrypt your information –

Your IT team should encrypt all information being moved to and from the cloud. This further reduces the possibility of data loss, as encrypted data is harder to steal.

The keys used for encryption and decryption should be placed in a secure offline location so that they are inaccessible by unauthorized members.

Educate your employees –

Better cloud security starts with your employees. A recent study suggests that humans, not the cloud providers are responsible for well over 90% of data breaches.

Reduce this possibility by involving your employees in the conversation. Train your team on security protocols – their importance, the do’s and don’ts, and the potential risks in non-compliance.

At the end of the day, no matter how well you plan, there is always the risk of having a data breach. In this event, ensure that your organization has a data recovery plan in place, which can be executed promptly. Deploying solutions such as backup software to safeguard your data is another option to consider.

These tips can help you get started with cloud security best practices, and put the basic precautions in place.

As the leading IT distributors in the UAE, if you’d like some additional information on security software, we can help. Reach out to us for more information here.