Cloud storage is the best way for businesses to store data today, regardless of size. It’s easy to scale, flexible and saves money, which is why many organizations use it to access, manage, and protect important data. However, applying the right practices for cloud storage to address security issues is crucial. Organizations must keep data safe.
Here are the security best practices for cloud storage:
Risks of Cloud Storage
Data in cloud storage is at risk of unauthorized access and security breaches. Cloud storage has many security risks, including misconfigured settings that could expose data. When you know where there are vulnerabilities, you can enact stronger security policies and know where to monitor them.
Carefully Select Your Cloud Storage Provider
The cloud storage service provider and cloud storage plan you pick should prioritize security. Evaluate providers based on how well they do for security. Key features a cloud storage provider should offer include encryption, access control, and data redundancy. Search for a cloud storage provider to see if there are security incidents, complaints, or prior breaches on record.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA, or multi-factor authentication, adds an essential layer of security by requiring additional verification outside of a password. App-based or hardware token MFA is stronger than SMS-based, a more common option. All user accounts should be required to fulfill multi-factor authentication standards.
Implement Role-Based Access Control
RBAC, or role-based access control, assigns permissions to users based on specific roles. Each role you create on your cloud storage comes with specific privilege access. As you assign users roles, you limit what each user can access. This protects unnecessary data and manager controls from users who should not have permission to access them.
Enforce Strong Password Policies
Encourage all users to use strong passwords. Passwords must combine letters, numbers, and symbols to increase their complexity. Set up prompts for periodic password updates and changes to reduce the risk of a password being compromised. Discourage using common phrases and easily guessable passwords.
Encrypt Data at Every Turn
Encrypt data before uploading, when it’s at rest in your cloud storage, and when it’s in transit. Use strong encryption algorithms to protect data integrity and maintain secure storage for the encryption keys separate from the cloud storage provider’s infrastructure. All stored data should be encrypted in transit and at rest, utilizing TLS/SSL to protect against interception.
Configure Your Cloud Security Settings Carefully
The vast majority of breaches in cloud storage occur from the user side, which motivates the user to configure cloud storage permissions carefully. Ensure detailed logging is activated to track activity and changes. Control mobile access to cloud storage. Follow best practices for a specific cloud storage provider and their recommendations on configuring security settings.
Secure Cloud Storage with Firewall Configurations
Use cloud-native firewalls to block unauthorized access. Configure firewall rules to restrict access based on IP address or geographical location. Review and update firewall rules as security policies evolve.
Keep Up with Cloud Storage Security Updates
Do not pass up the latest patches and security updates. These updates come from the server side and will cover emerging threats once integrated into your cloud storage. You don’t have to do this manually. Security updates can be automated to minimize the work involved. Without regular updates, your data could be exposed.
Audit Your Cloud Storage for Security
Periodically conduct a security audit on your cloud storage. Review and update user roles to reflect job changes and access needs. Assess overall cloud compliance with security policies. Automate log scanning to catch any unusual behaviours or activity, including large data transfers and signs of unauthorized access.
Establish a Data Retention Policy
Define how long you want to keep data based on different data types and legal and business requirements. Any data that falls outside these parameters and exceeds its retention period can then be deleted. This can be done through automated retention/deletion, which frees up storage while safeguarding sensitive data. Ensure all deleted data is thoroughly removed from your cloud infrastructure.
