What is Cloud Security? Everything You Need to Know

However, cloud-related security risks are ever-present, making it impossible to ignore measures to patch and monitor vulnerabilities of a cloud environment. Having a robust cloud security posture not only ensures that the data is protected but also saves the company significant costs incurred during damage control after cyber-attacks.

To protect company data and intellectual property from unauthorized access, cloud systems require security configurations and practices. In the following blog, we will discuss cloud security and the best cloud data protection strategies in detail.

Defining Cloud Security  

To understand cloud security, one should essentially understand how cloud computing systems are implemented across a firm.  

A company, for instance, employs online infrastructure consisting of applications/software, and IoTs to gain a functional advantage over legacy systems. These applications, devices, and platforms are all unified under a single (or multiple, if needed) cloud system. And while the company adapts to the new cloud environment, a set of security configurations and practices is put in place as safety measures.  

These safety measures ensure that the infrastructure hosted on cloud systems is well-guarded against any attacks or breaches. Through tools, policies, and controls, cloud security configurations maintain an organization's holistic security posture. It also helps manage and secure company data and eases the handling of multiple cloud service providers, and controls access.   

Importance of Cloud Security  

Many risks are associated with the transition of systems of any enterprise from legacy to cloud. These risks often include:  

• Data Breaches 
• Account Hijacking 
• Insider Threats 
• Compliance Issues 

If the company's cloud systems are misconfigured, lack employee awareness, or have a shortage of technical skills, it remains highly vulnerable to such risks.  

What can be done to mitigate the risks? A sound security culture company-wide, where every employee is aware of best security practices and understands the risks of cyber-attacks.   

Moreover, with a robust security posture, scaling cloud systems with business expansion becomes highly efficient and effortless. It also enables a seamless collaboration between departments while ensuring streamlined operations.  

Best Practices for Cloud Security  

There are many ways to deploy cloud computing. From public and private to hybrid and multi-cloud, enterprises choose models based on their business requirements and infrastructure. And though these models of cloud deployment differ based on how they are hosted (for instance, private cloud is hosted on on-site servers while public cloud is hosted on third-party providers), each cloud model requires a tailored security approach.   

Here we discuss five foundational practices that form a resilient cloud system:   

Identity & Access Management  

Managing access to sensitive company data on the cloud on a 'least privilege' basis significantly reduces the chances of breaches or ‘insider jobs’. 

Least Privilege access means that each employee or staff member has only so much access to the system to do their job without interruption. To further bolster this approach, companies can implement multi-factor authentication, as well as role-based access. The combination of these measures ensures that only authorized personnel have access to the system.  

Encryption & Data Hardening  

Another measure among cloud security best practices is encrypting data so that it remains unreadable in case the access falls into the wrong hands. Encrypting or data hardening refers to encoding data and making it readable only to those with the access key. To ensure the best implementation, enterprises encrypt data while in transit (when being transferred), and at rest (when stored), thus securing it at all stages.    

Monitoring, Response & Culture  

Constant monitoring of the cloud environment through automated tools will keep an around-the-clock check on cloud activity. Doing so will enable a quick and timely response to any suspicious behaviour. Moreover, there needs to be a culture of cybersecurity practices among employees and decision-makers across the company, thereby making it a shared responsibility.   

Data Protection in the Cloud: Strategies & Tactics  

Data protection is more than merely encrypting when it comes to enterprise cloud security. Encryption ensures that data is only readable to authorized personnel; however, it does not prioritize data safety based on varying sensitivity.   

Proper data classification helps resolve the issue. Here, the data is segregated and labeled, based on sensitivity, so that fitting measures can be applied to secure it. Beyond that, an additional layer of security can be implemented with Data Loss Prevention tools (DLP tools) to reduce the chance of data leaks and mishandling of data. 

Moreover, periodically conducting backups and disaster recovery drills can cultivate a culture of vigilance. With this, business continuity is also maintained, and data remains available during system failures or cyber incidents.   

It is imperative not to ignore the security of data endpoints and APIs. These often act as entry points for cyberattacks in multi-cloud setups.   

In such setups, one must make sure that secure data mobility and sharing governance are set to ensure data protection, no matter where it travels or who accesses it.   

Conclusion  

Cloud-based systems are a great upgrade over legacy systems. But are they entirely safe? That depends on how a firm configures its cloud systems. More than that, it depends on how safe access management is, as well as how aware the employees and staff members are of the hygienic security practices. Through additional security level-ups like ‘least privilege’ access, multi-factor authentication, and encryption, a company can achieve a robust cloud-security posture. Cloud security consultants like Hughes Systique Corporation can ensure a secure cloud system that is scalable and safeguards data across all online touchpoints.