On May 20, 2019, 50 million records from the AWS database of Instagram were exposed to threat. The database contained private information, such as phone numbers and email addresses of both ordinary people and high-profile celebrities. This followed a similar incident in 2017, when data from almost 6 million accounts was withdrawn and sold for Bitcoin. In fact, several cloud giants, such as Microsoft, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Yahoo! and Home Depot, have faced the severe repercussions of security breaches.
Today, 90% of organizations are concerned about cloud safety. No wonder, the global cloud security market stood at $4.09 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $12.73 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 25.5%, according to data released by MarketsandMarkets Research. It is crucial to bring transparency, visibility, and comprehensive controls over cloud infrastructure by combining experiences in Microsoft’s Azure tools and information security, say experts at GOBI Technologies. So, to make sure your data is risk free, here are the best ways to secure your cloud implementations.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Adding two-factor authentication can ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. This includes Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) authentication and mobile Out-Of-Band (OOB) authentication, which can effectively prohibit fraudsters from abusing cloud services, according to information shared by ResearchGate. These provide an additional layer of security and prevent your sensitive data from ending up in the wrong hands.
Analyze User Activities
To spot irregularities, make sure to incorporate real-time monitoring. When you notice a change in normal usage or activity patterns, it could be a sign of a potential compromise of your data security. For example, a login from an unknown IP address or device. Businesses should opt for advanced solutions like Vulnerability Scanning and Remediation, Intrusion Detection and Response, and Endpoint Detection and Response. These will stop hackers and prevent serious mishaps.
Password Protection
In 2004, Bill Gates had predicted that passwords would be obsolete in the near future. Well, every system, service, and application today are still extremely dependent on these coded characters. Organizations, therefore, need to prevent the reuse of old passwords, continuously check their credentials, and stop password resets altogether, according to an article on Help Net Security. This is especially needed because even the most robust passwords of eight characters, non-alphanumeric symbols, and mixed case letters can be cracked by a talented hacker.
Make sure to create a complex password with random words, dates, and the service name. For example, telephone13121995Instagram. This way, you just have to memorize the core word and the structure. Users can add symbols and numbers to make it even stronger.
Data Encryption
Leaving unencrypted data on the cloud is asking for trouble. Establish an encrypted connection even before you upload any data on the cloud, or download anything from the cloud, for that matter. A foolproof way is to zip files with a password and store them on the cloud. No one will be able to read the content unless they know the password. Additionally, cloud service providers offer top notch encryption keys to ensure that data does not fall into the hands of malicious hackers.
Data Backup
In the event of data corruption or accidental file deletion, an efficient cloud-to-cloud backup solution can save you from adverse consequences. The chances of losing information due to your cloud service provider are almost nil, but human errors cannot be prevented always. Having a hard drive back up is the safest practice and will store deleted data for some time, before you recover them.
Along with data breaches, hijacking accounts, malware injection, insider threat, insecure APIs, and insufficient diligence are common. Therefore, to incorporate these solutions effectively, get in touch with a reputable and professional IT consulting and cloud migration service.
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