Cloud Security – Why It Is Imperative For Every Organization?

In the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, cloud security is no longer only a concern of third-party Managed IT Services organizations, but it is a tool every team member must utilize when managing an organization’s financial data.

19% of cybersecurity professionals consider cloud security an important technical skill.

The COVID-19 pandemic-instigated shift to remote work significantly increased the risk of data breaches and, subsequently, the costs to thwart them. With the average employee using 36 cloud-based services in their daily routine, and organizations struggling to implement fool-proof cloud security systems in remote destinations, it becomes essential for every employee, remote or otherwise, to understand the nuances of cloud security and be familiar with its implementation to prevent losses through phishing attacks and other external threats.

What is Cloud Security?

Cloud security refers to the measures and practices used to protect cloud-based data, applications, and infrastructure from security threats. These threats can include malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, unauthorized access, and other cyber threats. Cloud security solutions typically include a combination of technologies, policies, and procedures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cloud-based resources.

I’m a true believer of the importance of cloud security, how it is an essential element for every organization, and cloud security best practices to safeguard crucial business data.

Why Cloud Security Matters?

1.????Protects Sensitive Data: Cloud security is essential for protecting sensitive data, such as customer information, financial data, and intellectual property. A data breach or unauthorized access to this information can lead to reputational damage, legal liabilities, and financial losses.

2.????Ensures Compliance: Many industries have specific data protection and privacy regulations that must be followed to avoid legal penalties. Cloud security solutions can help organizations meet these compliance requirements by ensuring that data is stored and processed in a secure and compliant manner.

3.????Reduces Risks: Cloud security solutions can help reduce the risks associated with data breaches and cyber-attacks. By implementing proper security measures and best practices, organizations can minimize the impact of security incidents and recover quickly from any potential data loss.

4.????Enhances Customer Trust: A strong cloud security posture can enhance customer trust and loyalty. By demonstrating a commitment to protecting sensitive information, organizations can attract and retain customers who prioritize data privacy and security.

5.????Supports Business Continuity: Cloud security solutions can help ensure business continuity by providing reliable access to critical data and applications. By implementing proper disaster recovery and business continuity plans, organizations can minimize the impact of unexpected events, such as natural disasters or cyber-attacks.

Strategic Cloud Security Best Practices:

1.????Educate

Your employees are your business assets. If you are shifting to the cloud, you need to invest time to train your employees in understanding the technicalities and nuances of cloud computing security systems, and the ways to safeguard their deployed data and assets.

Phishing, data leaks and systems being thrown offline are some recurring threats.

Lack of effective or strong passwords is one of the most common reasons leading to companies getting compromised. Hackers can quickly break into networks, encrypt their data, and cripple organizations from functioning because of simple password security breaches. Whether you have an ERP-type system or otherwise, people working in the process and systems-functions have to be in tandem to prevent the risk of data exposure.?

2.????Prioritize

One of the best ways to reiterate the importance of cloud security strategy is through a consistent communication mandate. Something as simple as having a regular column on cyber and finance cloud security in your weekly newsletters or in your signature should do the trick.

Here’s something a lot of companies don't recognize - security is a layered concept. Security needs to be interlaced through every stack of your IT infrastructure and processes to ensure your cloud deployments are safe. However, it may still not suffice to provide you with a 100% guarantee of safety. Simply put, you can’t be too careful.

3.????Teach

Understanding password best practices is a core element of any organization’s first line of defence. Train your team to get their approach towards password security on point.

It may be tempting to give all employees full access. They can get on with their tasks without running into roadblocks or having to coordinate with colleagues to get access to information – basically, things get done fast.?But wisdom is in being cautious. It’s best to give information access only on need-basis.

4.????Train

Do you know that something as secure as the Google two-factor authentication form too can be spoofed? Train your employees to immediately detect and classify something that looks “phishy”, and help them use their practical know-how to stay safe.

At AG, our thumb rule is to prioritize awareness-building and security training. It’s a critical and ongoing process. The messaging has to be consistent in order to remind employees to be on the lookout for phishing attacks, and to keep abreast of how such attacks are evolving. It does not have to be long hours of training, and may simply comprise basic communication and keeping people informed.?

It is critical to understand and assess risk profiles and plan IT infrastructure and security around it. We help our clients upgrade their systems to more robust platforms without over-engineering security.

Here Are My Concluding Thoughts

Cloud computing is essential because it allows organizations to maintain security resilience, scale strongly, and centralize efforts to accelerate business growth rather than spend resources on administering elaborate IT infrastructure systems.

Cloud security is critical for organizations that rely on cloud services to store and manage their data. By implementing proper security measures and best practices, organizations can protect sensitive information, ensure compliance, reduce risks, enhance customer trust, and support business continuity. With the increasing number of security threats and regulations, prioritizing cloud security and making it an integral part of your overall security strategy is more important than ever.