Cloud storage solutions and cloud business solutions are becoming the norm for all kinds of business needs. The cloud is becoming the solution for all of your business needs, both big and small. This is no longer an expensive solution that is hard to take advantage of.
If you have been thinking of moving your storage to the cloud to make it more efficient and cost-effective, you might not be sure about the risks that you need to be aware of for your business needs. These factors are always present for your cloud storage needs and you should be aware of these risks so that you can create the best cloud solutions possible for your unique situation.
If you are ready to learn about cloud security challenges and risks to be aware of, read on!
Cloud Security Challenges and Risks to Be Aware of
There are various components to any security infrastructure in the cloud and you need to know what these items are before you build your cloud infrastructure. Make sure that you always balance our user access with user security and you should be sure that you have the proper cyber threat security in place for every access point that interacts with your cloud storage solution.
1. Data Privacy
Data breaches are always an issue with data storage. This is the case when you are thinking about your personal network, your personal cell phone, or your business cloud storage solutions. Data privacy can be affected by all kinds of factors that intersect with your cloud storage solutions, particularly if you do not have your network up to date on security patches and other security products.
You need to also be aware that not all data can be moved to the cloud due to data privacy issues and agreements. Always make sure that you have thought about the ways to protect your data from theft as well as ways to keep it safe and secure within your own network for the benefit of both you and your customers.
2. User Access
This can be the weak point in any security system and the cloud is no different. You should always make sure that users do not have unlimited access to your network or your cloud solutions. If hackers get a hold of an account that has unlimited access, they can mine your data or steal your information without any trouble at all. This is usually how ransomware attacks succeed and it always relates back to incorrect security measures on unique user accounts.
While not everyone can be exempt from the most important and sensitive parts of your data, you should make sure that general users cannot gain access to all of your stored information and data without specific permissions. As an added benefit, you will find that offering this much in the way of access to employees can just lead to confusion about job roles and duties amongst other problems.
3. Security Provided by the Cloud
You should always work with a cloud provider who does not have shoddy security measures on their side of your agreement. Cloud security is just as important as the security that you have in place for your own business and they both go hand in hand with a cloud security agreement. You should always check into the security arrangements and plans that your cloud provider has in effect to make sure that they are not low-quality or opening up your business to risk.
Security online is the biggest factor for overall business success these days and if you have remote employees and other remote partners who interact with your cloud storage on a regular basis, you need to have the right security factors in place to prevent data theft and ransomware attacks. A weak security system on either side of your agreement can lead to a disaster for your personal data security.
4. Vendor-Owned Features
One of the limiting factors that can cause issues when working with any cloud solutions provider is that they might have a vendor lock on functions and features that you might want to improve or change. This can be a major stumbling block to any relationship with a cloud provider and it is one that you need to look into well before you agree to work with a cloud provider.
While there are probably good reasons for the vendor-owned features that are in place for your cloud provider, you should always make sure that they are going to meet your standards and work with your overall needs. You can compromise on some factors that cannot be changed, but there may be issues with certain vendor-locked options that will make it impossible for you to use a cloud vendor for your business needs.
5. Cloud Provider Not Compliant
While rare, it can happen that your cloud provider is not compliant with the regulations of their industry. This can happen when you work with a smaller entity that might be cheaper. This is a huge issue for your own data as it can be attacked by hackers or lost due to issues with the cloud provider being hacked or shut down.
You should always be sure that you work with a cloud provider who is reputable and listed with the approved companies who verify compliance. You will regret skipping this step if you do not make this a priority for your cloud storage solution needs.
Cloud Security is Essential to Your Business
You should never assume that all cloud providers are created equal and there is never anything wrong with researching any cloud provider that you are thinking of working with for your business needs. Cloud providers need to offer you data security as well as usability and support functions that will take care of your business needs on a daily basis.
Working with a cheap or less-than-reputable cloud solution will ultimately lead to issues that could have been avoided through a partnership with an experienced cloud provider.
