The last year saw the world face many new challenges. As the coronavirus pandemic raged on, it shifted the way people lived their lives. An unexpected result of the virus, though, was the rise in cybercrime. The reason is simple. Since more people started using the internet for work, remote learning, and meetings, the number of targets for hackers increased.
In the USA alone, the complaints to the FBI about cybercrimes rose by 400% in 2020. What does this mean for internet users in 2021? Surely, there is more to internet usage than buying Cox internet bundles and surfing the web. As the time you spend online becomes longer than ever, you must take precautions. While this is important for individuals, it’s even more urgent for workplaces. That’s because organizations store and share large amounts of sensitive data online. A particularly favorite method employed for this by big companies is cloud storage.
As more and more workplaces shift their work to cloud servers, the security risks increase. Although cloud usage is not any more dangerous than any other data-storage method, it requires specialized protective measures.
Why is Cloud Security Important?
Per statistics, 18.1% of files uploaded to cloud-based services contain sensitive data. Because of this, an average enterprise faces 23.2 cloud-related threats every month. Of these, 10.9 are insider threats. Why do you think is that?
Well, out of 20,000 cloud devices in use today, only 1 in 10 cloud service providers follow industry-standard security measures.
This only proves the obvious. That is, you will face fewer cloud-related threats if you strengthen your cloud security. So, if you invest in cloud security, you can prevent data breaches and data loss. Moreover, you will avoid any security compliance violations. Of course, you would also maintain business continuity if you are guarded against attacks.
Effective Cybersecurity Strategies to Protect Your Cloud
The only way to guard your cloud data against internal and external threats is to tighten up your security. Luckily, there are many strategies you can use to protect your cloud in 2021.
#1 Choose a Trusted Provider
The first step is to carefully select the cloud service provider you want to work with. When you opt for cloud usage, you share responsibility with your service provider. This means your provider must be reliable. So, choose a provider who offers an effective in-built security system. To ensure that you can trust a provider, check if they have any security certifications.
#2 Train Your Users
After the service provider, the users of the cloud service must be responsible. Therefore, it is essential that you train all your employees in cloud usage. This includes teaching them about all the risks involved, and how to avoid them. By holding workshops and training sessions, keep all cloud users updated on security policies. Moreover, train them to identify any security risks.
#3 Control User Access
By giving selective people access to cloud services, you minimize the risk of a data breach. So, ensure that only the relevant people can use cloud resources. This will also help you manage and implement security policies. Thus, try and assign specific roles to all employees.
#4 Secure User End-Points
Most cloud services are connected to some kind of user end-point. These are the devices that you use to access cloud data. To tighten your security, you must protect the computers you use to access cloud service. For instance, you must use firewalls, antivirus, and other internet security tools to keep your data safe.
#5 Maintain Visibility
A lot of organizations use various cloud services at the same time. Also, most resources have an average life span of two hours. Because of this, it is easy to lose track of which clouds are in use and which data is being used. Hence, you must ensure that all your data is visible to you. Most attacks occur only when your data is not within your visibility.
#6 Encrypt Your Data
You can never go wrong with data encryption. It is a security practice that is useful in all types of scenarios. When you encrypt data, you scramble its contents. This way, even if a breach occurs, the hacker can’t directly access sensitive data. Hence, use encryption as an extra layer of security.
#7 Use a Cloud Access Security Broker
A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is essential if you regularly make use of cloud services. A CASB forms a barrier between you and your cloud service provider. This way, you have an additional degree of control over your cloud security. You can use a diverse range of tools through a CASB. For instance, you can make your cloud ecosystem visible. Also, you can use it to ensure cloud security compliance and identify threats.
Also read: Explaining the mechanics and usability of Android spyware programs