How To Keep Your Cloud Storage Safe And Secure

Here, I will show you how to keep your cloud storage safe and secure.

Cloud storage has become the norm, and we seldom take extra cybersecurity precautions. The cloud is a virtual platform where individuals and small companies can store their data. Numerous security threats face your data even when it is on the cloud, and you need to be aware of them and how to mitigate them.

Security Threats Facing Cloud Service Users

Malware Infections

The massive data volumes on the cloud require an internet connection, which means anyone using cloud storage is at the risk of cyberattacks. One of the most common cyber threats is DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), where hackers flood a web-based application with unprecedented traffic, crashing its servers as a result.

Data Breaches

Cloud computing involves the customer ceding control of their data to the cloud service provider. On the one hand, this may allow the customer to focus their time and resources on their core business. On the other hand, however, the risk that the customers’ sensitive data is in someone else’s hands is always a risk in itself. For example, if the cloud provider’s security faced a breach, the hacker could get their hands on IP (intellectual property) or other confidential files.

Unauthorized access

There is increasing data protection legislation, and compliance becomes more challenging. Organizations need to have rules governing who gets access to data and what they can do with it. Since cloud computing allows easy access to data, monitoring who accesses this data becomes a challenge. This especially applies if you are in an industry that regulates data security like banking, government, healthcare, etc.

Risk of Availability

No service can promise you a hundred percent uptime. Relying on cloud services for critical business tasks means you are placing your business viability in the hands of your ISP and the cloud provider. If you lose access to your internet, your cloud service suffers too, and you cannot access your data on the cloud. This means you have to wait until the internet is back for your business to continue, especially if you rely on the internet to process client payments.

How Users Can Secure Their Devices

Use a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) secures your access to the cloud by encrypting your files on your devices and the cloud. VPNs use military-grade encryption standards that ensure your service provider or third parties have no access to your private files. A simple VPN download will easily secure your data against cyber attacks like DDoS and other attacks.

You can also use a cloud service that provides encryption and decryption as part of the storage and backup package. The service caters to encrypting your files on your devices and storing them securely on the cloud.

Multi-factor Authentication

Multi-factor or two-step authentication allows you to use an extra form of identification other than the regular password. When using multi-factor authentication, you key in your normal password, and an OTP (one-time-password) is sent to a trusted device, which you then enter. In addition, some cloud storage will also allow you to use biometric authentication such as fingerprint scan, retina scan, facial or voice recognition.

Employee Training

One of the weakest links between data security and cyber-attacks is the human element. When malware enters your system, it is because someone clicked on a link or downloaded an attachment. Therefore, employees in an organization need to be trained to spot suspicious emails, attachments, and links that could be potentially malware-infected.

Conclusion – Keep Your Cloud Storage Safe And Secure

The cloud is an amazing feat that has revolutionized how individuals and businesses store their data. However, that data being on the cloud does not mean it is 100% foolproof, and you have to take precautions to mitigate cyber-attacks.

Hope you now know how to keep your cloud storage safe and secure?

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