Cloud storage offers an array of benefits. It helps make data easy to access and improves team collaboration for businesses of all sizes and types. While this is appealing to most business owners, there are confidentiality risks that must be considered.
If a data breach occurs, your business must be able to prove that information security measures were in place. If you can’t provide this proof, you may face fines and other consequences.
As mentioned above, learning more about what is cloud migration and what it offers your business is a smart move; however, you also must know how to safeguard the information and data being stored there. Keep reading for some tips to help with this.
Improve Passwords
Most computer systems are secure. The issue occurs with human interaction. In fact, humans are often the main IT risk. If you let your team share logins or use commonplace, basic passwords, it will reduce your business’s security against thieves and hackers. Your business’s IT department must create and enforce a password policy that is regularly checked and updated to ensure the best passwords are used.
If someone has to remember multiple passwords for different systems, it may be helpful to use password management systems. These let users store their login credentials in an encrypted file. At this point, it can be accessed when required. Using this type of system will allow your IT administrator to enforce password policies like ongoing changes and strong passwords.
Archive Information and Data
Some businesses believe their information is safe and secure because it is backed up. However, this won’t protect the valuable information from certain user errors, such as deleting files or overwriting.
When you hear news about IT issues in large companies, they are often related to technical failures. However, the truth is, up to 63% of data losses are the result of human error. Another 15% occur because the user did not tell anyone about the mistake or was unaware they had caused an issue. If you have a business where data is an important part, using an archiving solution will help you minimize these failures.
Choose the Cloud You Use Carefully
Some people believe that larger, well-known data warehouses, such as Dropbox and Google Drive, provide solid and secure services. In many cases, cloud storage that is offered at no cost is susceptible to more attacks. Usually, superior protection is only provided for paid accounts.
Because of this, experts recommend using another layer of encryption to secure any valuable files that you are storing in the cloud. This will ensure your information is safe even if there is not much security integrated into the program. These types of systems are going to help protect your customers from cases of identity theft and minimize the possibility of other data-breach issues.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
For most businesses, the ability to access sensitive data can be controlled. It can be allowed or disallowed on different devices. It can also be necessary to have someone request access if they are in a different location. Unfortunately, trying to check each request can be a daunting process. This is where multi-factor authentication comes in. This will help ensure that only those with the proper credentials can access certain information. You can implement this technology when and where needed to make it easy for everyone, even those who work in different time zones, to access information when needed.
Securing the Cloud
No question moving to the cloud offers many benefits for your business. While this is true, you must take steps to safeguard your information. The tips above will help you do this but remember it is not a set-it-and-forget-it process. You need to monitor your data continually and utilize the latest technology to ensure your sensitive information is not breached. Being informed, knowing what to do, and what to avoid will help you keep your information safe and secure while you are using the cloud.
