With horror stories of high-profile cloud security breaches in the news, it’s hard not to be overcautious of your company’s data and information; protecting yourself and brushing up on best practices is the first step. Cloud computing may seem vulnerable to attacks, but it is an inherently qualified system with an enormous potential for your cyber security efforts. There are many things you can do to protect your company assets and data in the cloud; here are the most common cloud security mistakes and what you can do to fix them.
Common Cloud Security Mistakes and Fixes
- Loss of data or access to data
When using a public or hybrid cloud approach, your data will be stored in a shared location with other cloud customers and companies. This can pose security risks for data loss or access to your info. Often, service providers use high-level encryption to make sure the data’s integrity is protected. Be sure to check with your service provider to learn how this is done and what security risks are inherent in the process. This can help you form your own in-house strategy to combat the potential threat. - Not adhering to established corporate security policies
Even though data is being transferred to a cloud service provider, the customer is always in charge of protecting the integrity, visibility, security and regulatory compliance of their own data. Since IT pros shoulder this responsibility, it’s important to also check established corporate policies or guidelines when getting set up to make sure you are in line with cloud security best practices. - Lack of Understanding
Information is the first step to protecting your company’s assets in the cloud. Being aware of common cloud security risks is a crucial step that will allow you to form an air-tight cloud security strategy.
Develop a Hybrid Cloud Strategy to Stay Secure
To keep your data as protected as possible, enterprise IT organizations should develop a hybrid cloud strategy with an emphasis on maintaining the same security policies, visibility and control on applications and data as they have in their own private data center.
With a robust hybrid cloud approach, IT organizations will be able to seamlessly move applications and data back and forth between their private cloud and third-party public clouds as well as provide users with the same portfolio of cloud services provided by public clouds. This approach avoids the creation of pockets of shadow or stealth IT groups within the organization, which is a common IT concern.
To avoid making crucial cloud security mistakes, it’s important to have an expert on your side. At WEI, our experienced team is ready to help you build a comprehensive strategy to meet your needs and help you get the most out of the cloud. Contact us today for more information.
