Nowadays, cloud platforms are replacing traditional storage systems rapidly. Most organizations are migrating their data to the cloud environment completely. Data can easily be stored in cloud platforms like One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. Though it provides the ease of data storing and high data availability feature there is still a possibility of data security concerns. After knowing such information, you might be wondering are cloud platforms really safe to store information? Well, the answer to that question is tricky. To get a deep insight into this concern we have discussed a few cloud security best practices for keeping your data safe in cloud platforms throughout this blog.

Why Cloud Storage Usage is Rising Rapidly?

In a traditional data storage system, you have to carry a physical device to share and access your storage. With Cloud storage, you can access data from any device or any place using an internet connection. Also, with cloud platforms, data sharing becomes easier in any location. Using the Cloud Storage platform, you can authorize whomever you want, plus multiple users can work on the same file simultaneously. In case your device is stolen or damaged, you can access your cloud storage from any other device and protect it by locking important data folders. Data replication in more than one location adds more value to cloud data storage facilities. Additional Benefits of Cloud Storage are:

• Cost-Effective
• Data Redundancy and Replication
• Data Tiering
• Regulatory Compliance
• Protection from Ransomware/ Malware

Why use the cloud storage system?

Cloud storage can be under active cyber-attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack which uses shared resources, inadequate data transfer, system vulnerabilities, data alteration, and social engineering attacks. However, it is not one hundred percent correct that data stored on a cloud platform is not safe but methods like data encryption, single sign-on, two-way authentication login, and public key infrastructure maximum data security can be achieved.

6 best practices for cloud data security:

Know Your Responsibility:

Your responsibility as a user or as a service provider plays an essential role in securing your data, whether you are still using traditional data storage systems or cloud systems. As a cloud service provider, you need to take care that all cloud processes are working properly without any interference from login to data storing, accessing, altering to logout. As a user, you need to take care that you're not sharing any sensitive or crucial data with an unknown user that can misuse your data. Cloud storage is all about the collaborative mutual responsibilities of service providers and users.

Access Controls:

The second most important cloud storage security measure is to use two-way authentication of actions performed on your cloud that all cloud service provider offers which is also known as identity access controls. This control offers complete access to processes that are done on data. At the time of giving access to the user, you need to make sure that, that authorized user can access only limited data. The Cloud system also authorizes you to reverse the access if required.

Data Encryption:

Using the data encryption policy all your confidential information will only be disclosed to authorized users. Data encryption is not completely a safe policy but by using some complex encryption methods you can make your data security stronger to fight against specific cyber-attacks. Remember data encryption algorithms have to be stronger otherwise at the time of a security breach your data can fall into the wrong hands.

Securing Login Credentials:

Your cloud login credentials are as important as your other cloud security measures. If you fail to secure your credentials you might face the situations like 2017 OneLogin breach, where your AWS keys can also get exposed. So, it becomes more important that you do not share your credentials anywhere.

Use logging to monitor member activities:

Almost all cloud providers allow you to do audit logs of each member's activities, so you can protect your data from unauthorized access. For example, Google Cloud provides four types of audit logs of admin activity, data access, system event, and policy denied. AWS offers CloudTrail to track all member activities.

Adopt a shift left approach to security:

The shift-left approach is the incorporation of all required cloud security measures at initial levels rather than setting them up at end moments. It means that you need to monitor all data and their IaaS platforms before it goes live on the Cloud. By using such cloud security measures you will be able to achieve maximum data security on your cloud storage.

Final Words:

It is important that you are utilizing all these cloud security measures proposed by your cloud vendor. Cloud security is the term that we always need to ensure that it has been taken care of properly. Cloudstakes Technology provides the best cyber security services incorporated with compliance configurations and cyber threat intelligence.