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Cloud Security Essentials for Every Business Size
As more businesses make the switch to a cloud infrastructure, more cybercriminals are looking to access these corporate networks. As a result, businesses of every size need cloud security solutions to defend hybrid, private, and public cloud deployments.
When you work with a reliable cloud service provider, they’ll be able to offer an array of services and security measures that will suit your business’s unique needs. Unlike traditional IT security, however, cloud security is a joint responsibility between the business owner and solution provider.
How to Secure Your Digital Assets in the Cloud
No matter how good your service provider is, they still rely on business owners to follow a few standard procedures to minimize the potential for a data breach or cyber attack. The most essential precautions for every business to take include:
Secure Passwords
Strong passwords are a necessity in every level of security. While it may be easier to remember a shorter, more personal password, it will also be easier to hack.
Long, random passwords are ideal for cloud operations, with a different password for each application. In fact, IT experts recommend using passphrases over passwords, which may get up to 20 or 30 characters long. These phrases can be easier to remember than a random string of letters or numbers, but should still avoid personal information such as birth dates or pets’ names.
Train Employees
What may seem like common knowledge to a business owner may not be as obvious to newer employees. Include information about how to avoid breaches or common phishing schemes in the onboarding process to minimize the risk of a new employee becoming a security vulnerability.
Only share the data systems that employees need to do their jobs, rather than sharing access to the entire system to everyone.
Secure Wi-Fi Networks
Be sure you and your employees are accessing your data through a secure Wi-Fi network. The network itself should be secure, encrypted, and password-protected to limit access to the router. Provide a firewall for all devices that will access the network for an extra line of defense.
Never access your cloud storage or digital assets from a public Wi-Fi network, as these make for an easy entrance for hackers and malware.
Vet Third Party Applications
Most businesses utilize additional applications for emails or messaging, but the majority of data breaches occur through these unsecured doors. Before trusting a new application, be sure to find out:
- Is the application generally trusted by other businesses?
- What security measures (such as 2-factor authentication) are in place?
- Where is the company’s storage located? Do they have a variety of servers?
- Can the application’s security scale to fit your business?
Search through the user agreement to find their notification policy, privacy breach clauses, and any other security information that might be pertinent for your business.
Work with a Secure Cloud Service Provider
While business owners and employees can assist in keeping their cloud infrastructure secure, high-level security solutions will come from the provider. Look for services such as Backup as a Service to account for disaster recovery and data restoration.
Managed cloud service providers can also offer personalized recommendations to keep your data secure, and they’ll work with you to determine the best solution.
Why Rely on a Cloud Security Service Provider?
While it may be tempting for small businesses to handle their security in-house, the experience and tools available to a service provider are invaluable. Even after taking all necessary precautions, your network’s data cannot be 100% secure. In addition to reinforcing and optimizing your cloud security, a service provider can offer additional solutions to minimize downtime, risk, and vulnerabilities in the cloud infrastructure.
If your data is compromised, an experienced service provider will be able to detect the threat, protect critical assets, and minimize the overall damage to your network.
In addition to offering a variety of services and resources, security from a reliable cloud service provider offers benefits such as:
24/7 Security. Cloud solutions allow for constant live monitoring and support from IT experts, allowing for immediate action against to block potential threats and malware.
Reliability. Cloud computing offers the ultimate in dependability. Users can access data and applications regardless of their location or device, and the right security solutions minimize downtime.
Extended Protection. Cloud security protects users anywhere in the world, allowing them to quickly and easily access your network without compromising security.
Reduced Cost. By choosing cloud security, you no longer need to invest in or pay for dedicated hardware-- which also reduces administrative overhead.
If you’re unsure what you need or want in a service provider, get in touch with a cloud security expert for a consultation on what will benefit your business the most, or learn more about cloud services from our resources:
