Cloud Security and How to Protect Data

Cloud Security: How to Protect The Data?

With the rapid development of technology, cloud tools have become an integral part of both personal and corporate life. They provide users with convenient access to data and the ability to work with it anywhere in the world. However, the growing popularity of cloud technologies has increased the attention of cybercriminals to data, and therefore, its protection in the cloud is one of the priorities. Various effective tools are used for preventive measures to ensure data security, including CSPM, CIEM, and a platform for dark web monitoring that help detect potential threats, data leaks, and traces of unauthorized activity. In this article, we will look at the key methods of data protection in the cloud.

What Is Cloud Security?

Cloud security is a whole range of technologies and methods designed to protect cloud environments, applications, and data. It all starts with choosing a reliable provider and ends with the correct use of security settings and the implementation of information security regulations in the company. The data itself, operating systems, applications and software, virtualization networks, and more are subject to protection.

Let’s highlight three main types of threats that companies may face in one way or another:

• Literal data loss. The human factor is one of the main reasons for data loss. Employees can accidentally delete or damage files. This is treated with a competent backup policy when in the event of such a force majeure, you can easily and without major losses restore the lost information.
• Unauthorized access to data. In this case, both physical access to devices and virtual access to confidential information are implied. Attackers can be both among employees and outside the company. In the second case, they can gain access through the operating system, software vulnerabilities, and phishing attacks.
• Defective software and hardware. For example, a batch of defective disks, if they fail at the same time, can completely damage the cloud or local server.

How Cloud Security Works

Secure storage must ensure data security both at rest and during transmission between the cloud and the user or between different clouds. Security control is achieved by:

• providing access to resources only to authorized users;
• using encryption, tokenization, and data masking;
• monitoring suspicious activity, protecting virtual machines, servers, and endpoints;
• segmenting the cloud and creating secure sectors.

Cloud Security Risks

Misconfigured resources, API vulnerabilities, large attack surfaces, lack of encryption, and unconfigured user access control can lead to a cloud hack. And this can lead to the most unpleasant consequences:

• an unauthorized user from the outside can gain access to internal data and a leak will occur;
• an internal authorized user who has too broad access to internal information can intentionally or accidentally compromise it;
• a cyber incident can occur – a DDoS attack or malware infection that will disable the cloud infrastructure.

How to Protect Data in Cloud Storage?

To protect personal and corporate data from unauthorized access, loss, or leakage, it is important to follow several key security measures.

1. Manage access to information.

Granting all users full access to all files and folders in the cloud is a security risk. Instead, assign users specific access rights based on their needs and roles.

1. Encrypt data.

Transform data using cryptographic algorithms. If unauthorized persons gain access to information, they will not be able to read the contents without the encryption key.

1. Password protection.

Use complex passwords of at least twelve characters, consisting of letters, numbers, and symbols.

1. Use multi-factor authentication.

Activate two-factor or multi-factor authentication to increase the level of security.

1. Back up data.

Create backups to avoid losing information in case of unforeseen situations (hardware failures, information leaks, accidental deletion).

1. Use secure access.

Avoid accessing data over public Wi-Fi networks, especially if there is no reliable authentication method. Use a virtual private network (VPN) to secure your connection to the cloud.

Cloud Security Technologies

Cloud security covers various technologies and processes that ensure data safety and prevent corporate information leaks. Let’s take a closer look at the tools and solutions available for cloud security:

• Identity and access management (IAM) tools help regulate access to resources. They verify the user’s identity and record their actions. IAM solutions include single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and role-based access control (RBAC).
• Security information and event management (SIEM) tools protect data in the cloud by collecting and analyzing information from event logs and user activity. They identify suspicious activity and potential threats, such as multiple failed login attempts, and send alerts. This helps to quickly respond to possible cyberattacks.
• Cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools check cloud service settings to identify possible threats and vulnerabilities. If something is configured incorrectly, CSPM can automatically fix it. The tools integrate with development processes to ensure security at all stages of creating and running applications.
• The Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) protects cloud components such as virtual machines and containers from viruses and attacks. It identifies vulnerabilities and suggests ways to fix them. CWPP monitors the cloud and records all events for subsequent analysis. The platform protects information in the cloud using encryption and other methods.
• Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) is a system that helps control user access to resources in the cloud. It manages accounts, assigns access rights, and monitors user actions in the cloud.
• Dark web monitoring platforms play an important role in protecting data stored in the cloud by enabling the detection of leaks and potential security threats before they become a problem.

Final Thoughts

Cloud services are now becoming more popular, which means that threats from criminals are increasing, and data protection is becoming a priority for users and companies. Developing a comprehensive security strategy that includes the use of data encryption tools, access control, and dark web monitoring platforms helps companies detect leaks in a timely manner and protect sensitive data from third parties. We recommend ImmuniWeb, an experienced provider of modern, effective solutions for detecting data security risks, including dark web monitoring platforms and attack surface management platforms.