Cloud hosting services can be used for different purposes within corporate settings, from the storage of data using services like Box as well as accessing productivity tools via Microsoft Office 365, and the deployment of IT infrastructure through Amazon Web Services (AWS). In these scenarios cloud services enable companies to be more agile in their businesses, and increase their efficiency through more agile technology usually at a lower price. However, using any cloud-based service is not without the risk and challenges of data security cloud. The security of the data that is created by cloud services, transmitted to the cloud, and then downloaded via the cloud, is the obligation of the cloud service’s customer. The security of cloud data requires transparency and control. The steps below we’ve laid out a fundamental list of recommended practices to secure cloud data that can assist enterprises in establishing an encrypted cloud and help address cloud security concerns.
Phase 1: Be aware of cloud usage and the risk
The first step that cloud computing security is centered on understanding the current state of your system and evaluating risk. By using cloud security services which allow cloud monitoring, you will be able to complete the following steps:
- Step 1 1. Identify sensitive or regulated information. Your largest area of risk is the loss and theft which can result in regulatory penalties or the destruction of intellectual property. Data classification engines can classify your data, allowing you to be able to assess the risk.
- 2. Learn the ways sensitive data can be access as well as transferred. Sensitive data can be stored securely within the cloud however it is important to know who has access to it and from where it goes. Check the permissions for the folders and files in your cloud-based environment as well as the context of access, such as the user’s role, location, and the type of device.
- 3. Find Shadow IT (unknown cloud usage). Most people don’t ask their IT team prior to making a decision to sign up for cloud storage accounts or converting PDFs online. Utilize your firewall, proxy server and SIEM logs to determine the cloud services in use that you do not are aware of, and then perform an analysis on their risks.
- Step 4: Audit configurations for infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) such as AWS or Azure, or any other cloud hosting service. Your IaaS environments contain dozens of critical settings, many of which can create an exploitable weakness if misconfigured. Begin by reviewing your settings for access and identity administration, networking configuration and encryption.
- Phase 5: Discover suspicious user behaviour. Both careless employees as well as third-party attackers could show behavior that suggests the use of cloud data in a malicious manner. UBA (user behavior analytics) (UBA) can detect abnormalities and limit external and internal data loss.
Phase 2: Secure your cloud hosting services
Once you have a clear understanding of your cloud security risks and your cloud security risk profile, you can implement security to your cloud services based on their level of risk. There are a variety of cloud security tools that can help you achieve the guidelines below:
- First step: Implement security policies for data. With your data being designated as confidential or controlled and regulated, you can set rules that determine what information is stored on the cloud. You can also and quarantine or delete sensitive data within the cloud. You can also guide users to take action if they commit a mistake that could violate one of your policies.
- 2. Secure sensitive data using your own key. Encryption available within cloud services can protect your data from unauthorized access However, cloud service providers retains access to the encryption keys. Instead, secure your data with your own keys, which means you can fully control access. Users are able to work on the data at any time.
- 3. Create restrictions on how data can be transferred. From the moment data enters the cloud apply your access control rules over a number of services or one. Begin by setting groups or users to view or editor, and limiting what data can be shared with the outside world via hyperlinks shared.
- step 4: Block the transfer of data to unmanaged devices that you do not know about. Cloud services provide access to any device connected to the internet, however access to unmanaged devices such as a personal phone can create an unintentional gap in your security measures. Stop downloading to devices that are not managed by requiring verification of security on the device prior to downloading.
- Step 5: Apply advanced malware protection to infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) such as AWS or Azure. In IaaS environments, you’re responsible for the security of your operating systems, applications, and network traffic. Anti-malware technology can be added to the OS and the virtual network to secure your infrastructure. Install whitelisting for applications and memory exploit protection for single-purpose tasks and machine-learning-based security for general purpose workloads as well as storage of files.
Third Phase: React to Cloud Security concerns
When you cloud-based services continue utilized and accessed in a variety of ways, you will encounter incidents that require an automated or manual responses regularly as with the other environments in which IT is used. Use these guidelines to start with your security and incident management process:
- First step: Request an additional authentication process for access scenarios with high risk. If a user is accessing sensitive data on cloud services from a brand new device, for instance, it will immediately require two-factor authentication to verify their identity.
- 2. Refine cloud access policies when new services become available. You can’t predict the cloud services that will be accessed, however, you can automate updating internet access rules, like those that are enforced by a secure internet gateway, with details about the risks associated with the cloud service, to prevent access or show an alert. This can be accomplished by integrating the cloud risk database with your secure firewall or web gateway.
- 3. Get rid of malware cloud services. It is possible for malware to attack an shared folder that syncs automatically to cloud storage and replicate the malware into the cloud with no user intervention. Check your cloud storage using an anti-malware program to prevent ransomware or cyber-attacks on your data.
Finally
As cloud-based services develop and evolve, so do the threats and challenges you will face when you use cloud services. Make sure you are aware of any updates to features offered by cloud providers that concern security, and you can modify your security policies to meet the new requirements. Security providers are able to adjust the threat information and machine-learning models to ensure they are up to date also. When it comes to the phases and best practices mentioned above various key technologies may be utilized to achieve each step, usually together with the native security features of cloud-based providers.
