Cloud computing systems are a core part of an organisation at the present moment. It’s easier to manage an enterprise by paying for a cloud storage provider. Here are 10 tips for securing your cloud computing system, what it is, and why it is important.
What Is a Cloud Computing System?
A cloud computing system is basically a set of computing services offered on-demand by a cloud storage provider over the internet. Your organization will have access to databases, networks, servers, or software in the cloud.
Why Is It Important?
Cloud computing is important for a variety of reasons: it’s crucial in terms of data recovery, the provider will handle with the maintenance part, not your company and everything is stored in the cloud, so giving you peace of mind when talking about security. However, securing your cloud computing system is vital, because you will avoid breaches and cyberattacks on your company’s resources.
10 Tips for Securing Your Cloud Computing System
Here are 10 tips for securing your cloud computing system efficiently.
#1 Make use of an MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
MFA stands for an authentication solution that lets employees have access to an application or VPN through additional authentication factors. This means that a user will have to pass multiple steps before accessing a resource. With two-factor authentication, they will use a code generated via SMS for example.
#2 Back-ups are vital for securing your cloud computing system
Even if your data is stored on a cloud computing system you should make sure it has backups too. A good choice would be a cloud-to-cloud backup solution meaning that the data stored in your current cloud account will be also stored and copied into another cloud system.
#3 Test it
Penetration testing is a good solution. You can hire a red team, authorized ethical hackers that simulate a cyberattack to detect vulnerabilities in the system in order to fix them.
#4 Implement the principle of least privilege
The principle of least privilege means to restrict users’ access to resources they do not need in order to complete specifically assigned tasks. This covers applications too. Check regularly who and what has permission where and block those permissions if needed. Or, most efficiently, use a privileged access management tool that automates the process. This way, no one would delete an important file by mistake for instance.
#5 Make sure your employees are well-trained
Employees should always be updated on the best cybersecurity practices because the easiest way for them is to fall prey to phishing scams. Clicking on a compromised link in an e-mail can lead to credentials theft.
#6 Data encryption should be a must
A good tip for securing your cloud computing system would be to make sure you encrypt the files you want to store. This way, you limit everyone’s access to it. This means that even the cloud storage provider would not be able to get it in the absence of the password. Or, let’s say you don’t want to encrypt them locally every time you need to upload some documents. Then you can choose a cloud storage service that comes with encryption capabilities by default. The disadvantage of the latter method would be its pricey aspect.
#7 File sharing should be carefully managed
If you distribute links via e-mail and grant permissions to recipients, access retrieval should be carried out in a timely manner. Secure file-sharing is the only way to prevent advanced malware such as metamorphic viruses.
#8 A strong password means better security
Employees should have a good password that is complex and hard to decipher. They can use the Bruce Schneier approach: thus, they can make out an excellent password, by extracting the first two letters from a sentence: 10 tips for securing your cloud computing system will be 10TIFOSEYOCLCOSY. A password manager will be also useful to generate and provide them with a sophisticated password.
#9 Be mindful of what information is uploaded there
Even if a cloud computing system is advantageous in terms of data storage, sensitive information should though not be uploaded there.
#10 End-point protection is of utmost importance
If you have whole operating systems that are deployed in your cloud computing structure, then endpoint protection becomes crucial.
Securing your cloud computing system is vital for an enterprise. Make sure you carry out a process that will protect your cloud data!
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