Although, companies need to be consistent, unified, and protected automated cloud data need to be offered in a single place to help them discover, classify, monitor, protect as well as secure the application and data available across multiple environments. This offer can easily distinguish between the active and suspicious data present in the cloud.
The Benefits of Cloud Data Protection
There are several advantages of cloud data protection that enable the companies to get enrolled with several features:
- Secure applications and data across multiple environments while maintaining complete visibility into all user, folder, and file activity.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks, such as security threats, suspicious user behavior, malware, and others.
- Better govern access.
- Define policies.
- Prevent and detect data loss and disruption.
Data Protection Challenges in The Cloud:
When one is concerned about setting up data protection in the cloud, then the organization is likely to face lot many problems that turn into challenges:
- Integrity- systems should be designed to ensure granting permission for authorized access. Moreover, permission to modify or delete data is restricted for appropriate users.
- Locality- data regulations are applied for the physical location of data where it has been collected or used. Moreover, in a distributed system, it turns difficult to determine and control therefore the system need to be designed in the way that defines data is located throughout the time.
- Confidentiality – Data become secured concerning the confidentiality level. Therefore, it is needed to have proper restricting permission and even apply encryption for the restricted readability. Admin credentials and encryption keys should be protected to ensure restriction for maintenance.
- Storage – cloud infrastructure is considered to be controlled by the vendor which means companies rely on vendors for ensuring physical infrastructure, network, and data centers that opt to be quite secured.
Key Practicing for Data Protection in Cloud:
- Know responsibilities in the cloud:
The use of the cloud service does not mean that cloud providers are responsible for data. It is completely you and your provider who share the responsibilities. This shared model allows the provider to ensure hardware and software services provided are secured whereas cloud consumers remain responsible for the security of the data assets.
Cloud providers render better security compared to many companies that can achieve the target on their own. On the other hand, cloud consumers lose visibility due to the cloud vendors who are in charge of infrastructure operations.
Consult provider’s processes in case of breach:
A cloud vendor provides transparent and well-documented plans outlining mitigation and even support while breaching. The worst scenario arises when multiple fail-safes and alarms are triggered immediately while breach alerting all relevant parties when an attack is encountered.
- Identify security gaps between systems
The cloud environment is integrated with other services, some are in-house and some are 3rd party. The maximum is the number of vendors and systems added to the stack, the more gaps get created. Organizations need to recognize the security gap and measure ensure the security of the data and assets shared as well as used by the system. Measures implemented by 3rd party vendors, organizations should be implemented on their own to ensure compliance and security. Every industry needs to uphold certain security practices. The 3rd party vendors do not always offer the same level of compliance.
- Utilize file-level encryption
The organization implements comprehensive file-level encryption measures even when cloud vendors provide basic encryption. Howsoever, file-level encryption serves to provide basic security with the additional layer of protection before uploading data on the cloud. Data can be “shard” into fragments and stored shards are applicable in a different location which makes it difficult to get assembled as a whole file if managed to breach the system.
- Transfer data securely
Implementation of point-to-point security by a combination of additional encryption applied with SSL for other communications. Utilization of secured emails and file protection tools enables to track and control to view the data and access is revoked. One can restrict the data type which allows transfer outside of the organization ecosystem. One can restrict certain use of data to ensure users and recipients comply with data protection regulations.
- Back up data consistently
At regular intervals of data, replica needs to be created and stored separately from the major repository. Consistent backups help in protecting the organization from critical data losses caused during data wipeout or lockdown. Data replicas enable continuous working off-line whenever cloud assets are not available.
- Exposure of shadow IT with cloud deployment
Proper use of the resource is not accomplished even after availing of a proper cloud security policy. Most of the time it is observed that the employees are not versed in security policies and are even found to be unaware of security risks. To avoid consultation of IT team for Installation of software and downloading files can result into creation of security risk such as a shadow IT infrastructure.
There are certain measures adopted by the organization to protect against the shadow IT risk. One of the most monitored techniques is firewalls, proxies, and SIEM logs that are used to determine the IT activity throughout the organization followed by the access activities that can determine the risk encrypted by the users.
With the gain of the accurate picture activity and usage, some measures need to be introduced to prevent the transfer of corporate data from trusted systems and devices of unauthorized endpoints. Another preventive measure associated with risk is enforcing device security verification to prevent the download from and to unauthorized devices.
- Cloud Data Protection with NetApp Cloud Compliance
Netapp cloud compliances influence the cognitive technology to discover, identify, and map personal and sensitive data. It is used to maintain the visibility to forecast the privacy posture of cloud data, data privacy reports and demonstrate compliance and regulation like GDPR and CCPA. Thus, follow the above-mentioned key practices to safeguard your companies cloud security data. It is time to move one step in the world of technology with cloud data protection platforms.
Also Read: Emerging Trends in Data Warehousing and Analytics in Cloud Tech!
