Mohammed NaserFollowing cloud security best practices during cloud adoption is beneficial to business enterprises of all kinds. Read more.
Cloud security best practices that any business enterprise or organization should follow - the topic couldn't be any clearer.
In traditional IT infrastructures, everything from deployment and management and maintenance was some way or the other in the hands of the company. Even if the company has to hire some external vendor for certain tasks, the fees and licensing of products often produced unnecessary hurdles. Not to mention the task of getting an efficient IT team on board and training them according to the rapidly changing fields. The above mentioned are a few of the reasons why most companies opt for cloud-based storage and management these days.
Even then, cloud adoption is no small feat. Once everything is set up, things can be smooth, and your business can operate in ways better than you imagined. Before all that happens, any enterprise must keep in mind certain best practices to follow to ensure your data security on the cloud.
#1 - Understanding your data
Data is everything in the current world. Therefore, every company must store and use their data with utmost care. Understanding the kind of data you have and how much security you need for storage, process, and access determines the course for your cloud environment and, further, cloud security.
#2 - Choosing the Right Cloud for Your Business
An enterprise must know what kind of cloud is suitable for their business operations. There are three types of cloud, majorly in the market - public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud (a mix of public cloud and private cloud). The linked posts will help you understand the definitions of each. Once you understand them, you will have an idea of what type of cloud your enterprise needs.
#3 - Choosing the Right Cloud Provider
Once an organization understands its cloud needs, the next step is to find the right IaaS provider. Your budget and level of support offered by the provider also factor in this decision. Ideally, the provider must be able to take care of all your cloud requirements, accommodate SLAs and update standards, and provide business-grade support throughout the process.
#4 - Constant Monitoring and Penetration Tests
It is vital to perform regular tests to monitor your cloud security and performance. To ensure a stable running of operations, you need to identify potential risks before an issue occurs. Routine penetration tests will help identify such issues and eliminate threats.
#5 - Encryption, Backup and Recovery options
Once data is on the cloud, enterprises, and providers need to ensure that it is well protected and that there are failsafe recovery mechanisms in place. Encryption policies are highly advised here, no matter what kind of data you deal with. Reliable backup and recovery systems in place can ease half the tension of an enterprise in the event of a crisis.
#6 - Training and Use Policies for Users
Like any operational change within an enterprise, training employees on your new cloud environment is also vital. Users not having sufficient knowledge or expertise will cause harm down the lane in terms of cloud security.
#7 - Provide Access only on Need Basis
Enterprises need to establish clear access policies as to which employees can access what information. Setting up access protocols play a crucial role in overall data security.
#8 - Know Compliance and Regulatory Requirements
Enterprises are at greater risk if they don't follow specific data guidelines and regulations set by governmental entities to protect users and consumers. Knowing them in advance and establishing your cloud accordingly, with the help of the provider, will ensure that companies don't face unnecessary legal hassles and protect consumer data to an extent.
#9 - Establish Clear Security Guidelines
Right from the moment the cloud is deployed, clear security policies should be outlined and followed. Both the enterprise and the cloud provider share the responsibility with regards to security. A well-established policy will reduce issues like data failures or operational troubles. Framing policies according to factors such as employee-tier access, remote working, etc., can be helpful.
#10 - Timely User Verification
Enterprises might trust all users and employees with access to the cloud. It helps if there are proper verification systems in place, ensuring only the right people can access the data. The verification can be anything from passwords to multi-factor authentication systems. User verification plays an important role as one of the best practices in cloud security.
#11 - Bonus - Follow the Best Practices
This sounds like a no-brainer, but to get the most out of your cloud and establish proper security for all data in and out, you need to know and adhere to the best practices mentioned above.
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