Advancements in cloud computing have made securing data more complicated. Fortifying servers in data centers to protect sensitive information no longer provides adequate protection. The cloud has become the data repository for everything, and data security must keep pace.

The amount of enterprise data stored with cloud service providers has doubled since 2015. More than 60% of corporate data is stored in the cloud today. Half of companies store business records in the public cloud, and 89% use a multi-cloud approach, storing data in both public and private cloud systems.

In addition to data archives, cloud systems are being used to share data. Remote workers increasingly rely on shared data stored in cloud services, such as OneDrive, Google Docs and Dropbox, to do their jobs.

Migrating data to public and private cloud services increases potential vulnerabilities. The cloud now holds more data that requires diligent protection. Understanding cloud vulnerabilities and how to overcome them is essential to securing your data, including knowing what and what not to do.

More Threats Require Better Security

The risks to data stored in the cloud have never been greater. Cybercrime rose 600% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phishing attacks account for 90% of data breaches, and 96% of those attacks are initiated via email. Ransomware has become a bigger problem, affecting 72.7% of organizations in 2023. There is a cyberattack every 39 seconds and a ransomware attack every 14 seconds.

Identity theft is a growing data security problem, with 1.4 million cases reported yearly. Once a cybercriminal has stolen an identity, they can impersonate the victim and gain unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data and business systems, which enables them to inflict serious damage or reputational harm.

Protecting data stored in the cloud requires more robust security measures. For example, identity access management (IAM) has become more complex in the cloud era, beyond managing access credentials, and single sign-on (SSO) helps IT professionals manage data access. Still, it’s a double-edged sword that relies on an identity provider to provide access to files and data using technologies like SAML (security assertion markup language).

As more IT professionals adopt automated provisioning tools, it’s essential to apply the principle of least privilege. Continuous monitoring and review of access controls ensure company security policies are met. Controlling access to critical data eliminates problems and prevents security and compliance issues.

New Tools Mean New Security Strategies

New cloud infrastructures require new data management tools. The ever-changing state of the cloud creates a significant challenge in maintaining consistent and effective security policies. The dynamic nature of cloud environments introduces risks that weren’t a concern with on-prem systems. IT teams must continuously adapt to counter emerging threats and dedicated managed service providers (MSPs) must focus on around-the-clock data security.

In the public cloud, everything is interconnected. IT no longer has physical control of the network infrastructure so they must rely on network segmentation, including firewall policies, to separate networks while granting users and applications access to data. Organizations often rely on the built-in security mechanisms offered by cloud providers to secure office applications and remote workers, but those security measures are often inadequate.

Compliance remains one of the most important considerations for any security strategy. Every organization maintains basic compliance requirements outlining how to handle data securely. Internal protocols are being supplemented and replaced by new compliance protocols to maintain insurance coverage. However, as organizations share cloud data, compliance requirements for data sharing become unclear. For example, one of your partners may want to use Microsoft Teams to share data, but their compliance requirements are more stringent than yours. How do you work with them as a partner and satisfy their security compliance requirements?

Strengthening Cloud Data Security

Cloud platforms give organizations several advantages and are often seen as an extension of the existing infrastructure. They add scalability, flexibility, and business agility, making adding resources quickly and efficiently easy. Businesses looking to build their business in the cloud must have a well-developed data security strategy. Without a solid security plan, they may experience unintended consequences if they expand too quickly.

There are specific factors that must be considered when evaluating the security posture of your cloud data:

• Identity and access management. Have a firm understanding of IAM, including the authentication mechanisms applied to access critical systems and data. Be sure to apply the principle of least privilege and ensure that those who have data access have proper credentials and authorization.
• Assess network security. Ask questions about network security and inventory the security tools being used. No single product can likely address all your security needs, but some less expensive solutions may be more effective than costly solutions that don’t meet your security criteria. Always match the network security solution to the problem.
• Encrypt your data. In addition to blocking access, you should make every effort to protect your data. Data encryption may be the added step that protects you. Encrypt data at rest and in transit so it can’t be copied.
• Visibility. You should be able to see what is happening with your data to ensure compliance and governance without complicated processes. Having visibility to understand how your data is stored and managed and who is accessing and using your data is essential for auditing and compliance checks.
• Incident response and recovery. You may not be able to prevent a data breach, but you should be able to recover from one. Be sure to have secure data backups and the mechanisms in place to recover in the event of a cyberattack.

Above all, be sure to have security experts available. More often than not, security incidents occur at night and on weekends, so have a security team on call as first responders. You need to be sure you have security professionals looking out for you