Since more and more companies are using cloud based computing these days, the security of the cloud becomes a major concern for these companies. So let me explain what cloud security is.

What is cloud security?

A business that wants future success starts with switching from on premises hardware to cloud computing. Cloud helps in having more access to various applications, helps in team collaborations, improves data accessibility and makes it easier to manage content. Some companies do not switch to cloud because of some security concerns, but a reliable cloud service provider can make sure that the data of these companies is safe and highly secure.

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Definition of cloud security

Cloud security, also known as cloud computing security, protects the data stored by companies online from getting stolen, deleted or being leaked. It is a collection of policies, controls, procedures and technologies that come together to protect the data stored in the cloud. These security measures ensure protection of cloud data, customers’ privacy, regulatory compliances and set authentication rules for various devices and individuals. A company can set up these security measures, authentication rules according to business needs. All this can be done at one place so that administration overheads are reduced and the IT department can use this time to focus on other aspects of business.

The quality and method of cloud security highly depends on the cloud service provider but it is the responsibility of both, business owner and service provider to protect important data from being leaked or deleted.

Why is cloud security important?

As more and more businesses are switching towards cloud, it has become important to secure their data from being stolen. In these evolving times, security threats are evolving too and they are becoming more sophisticated. Major security threats include data loss, data breaches, account hijack etc. so, many IT professionals are always concerned about storing their data in the cloud. They are constantly worried about their data being stolen, accidentally leaked or being at risk of these sophisticated cyber threats.

So, an important part of cloud computing is devoted to protecting the data of these companies because the data can be anything from their purchase orders to their credit card or social security number. It becomes important for cloud service providers to secure data in order to gain trust of their customers.

If a company is able to guard data of a company, then it becomes a more viable option for any company to switch towards cloud and gain competitive advantage.

Practices to look out for cloud security

Cloud security is constantly changing but there are some practices that can ensure the security of the cloud environment. Organizations that have cloud solutions should implement these measures to protect their sensitive data from getting stolen.

Understanding shared responsibility model

In a private data center, an enterprise is completely responsible for all security issues, but in a public cloud, the responsibility lies with both, a cloud service provider and the customer.
A business is expected to review the policies of the cloud service provider and understand their methods of handling various aspects of cloud security. They should also take some security measures like authorizations, policies etc. into consideration from their end to make sure no data is leaked.

Staff training

Every business that is using cloud security should train their staff to prevent hackers from getting their hands on access credentials for cloud computing tools. They should give training on how to spot cybersecurity threats and how to respond to them.

The training should include basic knowledge about creating strong passwords and identify possible social engineering attacks as well as more advanced topics like risk management.

Auditing and penetration testing

Every organization should run penetration testing whether they are using outside security or in house security. These tests are conducted to determine whether existing cloud security efforts are enough to protect data and applications.

There should be some additional security audits as well to ensure data safety. These audits should include analysis of all security vendors’ capabilities. This will ensure a business that vendors are providing security according to agreed terms.

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