Did you know that 70% of all cyberattacks target small businesses? To mititage this risk, many small law firms, businesses and organizations are turning their heads towards cloud-based software. However, cloud-based software is not without its security concerns too. Securing your data is incredibly important, so here we present five important cloud security controls that you should be using today.
1. Centralised Visibility in the Cloud
The truth is, cloud security presents an entirely new set of risks. To keep important data safe, secure, and compliant in this new environment, you must integrate centralised visibility into configuration settings, security policies, and user activity. Centralised visibility is all about helping you understand vulnerabilities. Leading developers integrate cloud workload protection (CWP) tools, which give software users the ability to monitor and assess the configuration status of their cloud-based software, which is incredibly important.
2. A Strong Perimetre Firewall
A firewall is a protective system which prevents unauthorised use and access to your network. A strong perimeter firewall is a simple defense, but entirely necessary in your efforts to thwart the most advanced and persistent data threats out there today.
3. Remember to Backup Your Data
This aspect of cloud security control is often overlooked, but you should always focus on backing up your data. When your data is backed up, you have more control over it. In November 2019 T-Mobile encountered a vast data breach. Their systems were hacked, with cyber criminals stealing the personal data of more than one million American customers. Not only did T-Mobile have to deal with their customer’s data being stolen, but they also didn’t possess a backup of that data, leaving them with nothing, essentially. So store your important data in a separate location. Sounds simple, but it’s vital.
4. Remember Internal Firewalls
As mentioned above, strong perimetre firewalls are of paramount importance. But you should also recognise that internal attacks are also a risk. Internal firewalls work to restrict access to sensitive data and applications.
5. Think About the Threat of Insecure APIs
Another great cloud security challenge comes in the shape of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) . In fact APIs and insecure interfaces from the cloud are some the most vulnerable aspects of cloud computing. APIs give users the opportunity to customize their cloud experience, but they can pose a great threat to your organization’s cloud security. The risk can be mitigated by adopting an effective security model for the cloud provider’s interface and employing strong authentication and access control. These mechanisms must work in tandem with encrypted transmission and a clear understanding of the dependency chain of the APIs.
Are you hesitant about adopting cloud computing services into your IT infrastructure? You’re not alone. Get in touch with LATERAL today, and see how our software can address the security and privacy needs of your data-sensitive organisation.