The rise of cloud based security solutions has been meteoric. In just a few years, the cloud has transformed the way we think about security and has become an essential part of any organisation’s security strategy.
In fact, a 2018 study found that 96 percent of organizations are using cloud services. And, this trend is only increasing. By 2025, it’s estimated that the global public cloud services market will reach $623.3 billion.
The Benefits of Cloud Based Security Solutions
The cloud has brought many benefits to organisations, including increased agility, reduced costs and improved scalability. But perhaps the most significant benefit of the cloud is the way it has transformed security.
In the past, security was often seen as a hindrance to business. It was something that needed to be compliance with, but it was not seen as a strategic enabler. The cloud has changed all that.
The cloud has helped organisations to move away from traditional, reactive security approaches to a more proactive, predictive model. This is because the cloud provides organisations with the ability to collect and analyse vast amounts of data in real-time.
This data can be used to identify trends and patterns that can help organisations to anticipate and prevent security threats. The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations respond to security incidents.
In the past, organisations would often have to wait for weeks or even months to receive security updates from their vendors. This would often mean that the organisation was left vulnerable in the meantime.
With the cloud, organisations can receive security updates in real-time, which means that they can quickly patch any vulnerabilities. The cloud has also helped to improve collaboration between security teams.
In the past, security teams would often operate in silos, which made it difficult to share information and best practices. The cloud has helped to break down these silos and has enabled security teams to work more closely together.
The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations procure and deploy security solutions. In the past, organisations would often have to buy security solutions from multiple vendors and then try to integrate them themselves.
This was often a time-consuming and costly process. With the cloud, organisations can now subscribe to security solutions from a single vendor. This has helped to simplify the procurement process and has reduced the costs associated with deploying security solutions.
The cloud has also made it possible for organisations to take a more holistic approach to security. In the past, organisations would often focus on specific security technologies, such as firewalls or intrusion detection systems.
However, the cloud has helped to promote the adoption of a more holistic approach that includes people, processes and technology. This approach is often referred to as ‘security in depth’ and it is an essential part of any organisation’s security strategy.
The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations manage and monitor their security posture. In the past, organisations would often rely on manual processes to track and manage their security.
However, the cloud has helped to automate many of these processes, which has resulted in increased efficiency and reduced costs. The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations measure the effectiveness of their security.
In the past, organisations would often base their security decisions on gut feeling or best practices. However, the cloud has helped to introduce data-driven decision making, which has led to improved security decisions.
The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations communicate with their stakeholders about security. In the past, organisations would often communicate about security in a reactive way, such as after a security incident.
However, the cloud has helped to promote proactive communication, which has led to improved understanding and buy-in from stakeholders. The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations engage with their employees about security.
In the past, organisations would often deliver security awareness training in a one-size-fits-all manner. However, the cloud has helped to personalise security awareness training, which has led to improved engagement and understanding from employees.
The cloud has also helped to improve the way organisations partner with their suppliers on security. In the past, organisations would often have to rely on their suppliers to provide them with security solutions.
However, the cloud has helped to enable organisations to take a more proactive approach to supplier security, which has led to improved security and reduced costs.
Security Concerns with Cloud based Security Solutions
However, with these advantages come security concerns. After all, when you store data in the cloud, you’re entrusting it to a third-party. As a result, data security in the cloud is a top concern for many organizations.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to secure your data in the cloud. By understanding the risks and taking the proper precautions, you can keep your data safe while reaping the benefits of cloud-based solutions.
What are the security risks of the cloud?
When it comes to data security in the cloud, there are a few key risks to be aware of:
Insider threats
Just like with on-premises solutions, it’s important to protect your data from insiders. This includes both malicious insiders who deliberately try to damage your data and well-meaning insiders who inadvertently make mistakes that put your data at risk.
External threats
In addition to protecting your data from insiders, you also need to protect it from external threats, such as hackers.
Data breaches
A data breach occurs when unauthorized individuals gain access to your data. This can happen as a result of both insider and external threats.
Data loss
Data loss can occur for a variety of reasons, including malicious attacks, hardware failures, and human error.
How can you secure your data in the cloud?
There are a number of steps you can take to secure your data in the cloud, including:
- encrypting your data
- using access control measures
- implementing activity monitoring
- backing up your data
- using a secure cloud service provider
Let’s take a closer look at each of these:
Encrypt your data
One of the best ways to protect your data in the cloud is to encrypt it. Data encryption is a process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format. This makes it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access your data.
There are two main types of data encryption: symmetric and asymmetric.
With symmetric encryption, the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data. This makes it fast and efficient, but it also means that the key must be kept secure.
Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, uses two different keys: a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt data, while the private key is used to decrypt it. This makes it more secure than symmetric encryption, but it’s also slower and more complex.
Use access control measures
In addition to encrypting your data, you also need to implement access control measures. This involves restricting access to your data to authorized individuals only.
There are a few different ways you can do this, including:
● Role-based access control: With role-based access control (RBAC), you assign users to specific roles. Each role has its own set of permissions. This allows you to granularly control who has access to what data.
● Identity and access management: Identity and access management (IAM) is a process of managing users’ identities and permissions. This can be used in conjunction with RBAC to further restrict access to data.
● Least privilege: When it comes to data security, the principle of least privilege states that users should only have the permissions they need to do their jobs. This helps to reduce the risk of data breaches and data loss.
Implement activity monitoring
In addition to encryption and access control, you also need to implement activity monitoring. This involves tracking and logging user activity in your system.
Activity monitoring can help you to detect malicious activity, such as data breaches and insider threats. It can also help you to identify issues that may lead to data loss, such as user mistakes and hardware failures.
Backup your data
Backing up your data is another important step you can take to secure it. This involves creating copies of your data and storing them in a separate location.
If your data is lost or corrupted, you can use the backup to restore it. This helps to ensure that you always have a copy of your data, even if something goes wrong.
Use a secure cloud service provider
When it comes to data security in the cloud, it’s important to choose a secure cloud service provider. This means choosing a provider that has experience in data security and that offers a robust suite of security features.
Some of the things you should look for in a cloud service provider include:
● Data encryption: As we mentioned earlier, data encryption is an important security measure. Make sure that your cloud service provider offers data encryption.
● Access control: As we mentioned earlier, access control is another important security measure. Make sure that your cloud service provider offers role-based access control (RBAC) or identity and access management (IAM).
● Activity monitoring: As we mentioned earlier, activity monitoring is a important security measure. Make sure that your cloud service provider offers activity monitoring.
● Backup: As we mentioned earlier, backing up your data is a important security measure. Make sure that your cloud service provider offers backup.
Conclusion
Data security in the cloud is a top concern for many organizations. However, there are a number of steps you can take to secure your data, including encrypting your data, using access control measures, implementing activity monitoring, and backing up your data. Additionally, make sure to choose a secure cloud service provider. By taking these steps, you can keep your data safe while reaping the benefits of cloud-based solutions.