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Protecting Your Data on the Cloud

Cloud storage has transformed the way businesses store and manage data, but for some, it also raises concerns about data protection. This blog post discusses a few security measures that can be deployed when using cloud storage.

Data Encryption

One of the fundamental security features of cloud storage is encryption. It ensures that your data remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access. Cloud storage providers use encryption algorithms to protect data both during transit and when stored in their servers. This means that even if an attacker intercepts the data in transit or gains access to the storage servers, the information remains unreadable. Encryption adds an extra layer of security, ensuring that your data remains confidential and secure.

Access Controls and Identity Management

Concerned about access to data? Cloud storage providers offer access controls and other mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to your data. These features allow you to manage user permissions, granting access only to authorized individuals or groups. With control over access rights, you can define who can view, edit, or share your data. Additionally, multi factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification, such as a code generated on a mobile device, along with a password. This helps prevent unauthorized access even if a password is compromised. Tools like these protect your data and ensure that only trusted individuals can access it.

Data Redundancy and Replication

Cloud storage don’t just store your data in one place. They replicate your data across multiple servers and data centers, often located in different geographical regions. This redundancy means that even if one server or data center fails or experiences an outage, your data remains accessible from alternative locations. Additionally, data is updated in real-time, ensuring that the replicated versions are consistent and up to date. This not only improves data availability but also protects against data loss. By the use of these models, cloud storage providers minimize the risk of data loss due to hardware failures, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events at levels almost impossible for even the largest organizations.

Regular Auditing and Monitoring

Because of their size alone, cloud providers can offer auditing and monitoring activities at extremely high levels of sophistication. They monitor the storage infrastructure, network traffic, and user activities to detect any suspicious or unauthorized access attempts. Providers can identify potential security breaches or anomalies and take prompt action to avoid trouble. Regular auditing and monitoring ensure that your data is protected and any security incidents are addressed promptly.

Compliance and Certifications

Cloud storage providers often adhere to industry-specific compliance standards and undergo third-party audits to demonstrate their commitment to data security. They obtain certifications such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, or HIPAA, which validate their adherence to stringent security practices. Compliance with these standards ensures that the provider has implemented appropriate security controls, processes, and policies to safeguard your data. Choosing a cloud storage provider with industry-recognized certifications can provide assurance that your data is stored and managed in a secure and compliant manner.

Protecting your data is a top priority, and cloud storage providers offer a range of security features to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your information. Encryption, access controls, data redundancy, monitoring, and compliance certifications are just some of the robust security measures implemented by reputable cloud storage providers. By selecting a trusted provider that offers these security features, you can rest assured that your data is protected against unauthorized access and potential threats. Remember to carefully evaluate the security features of different cloud storage options and choose a provider that aligns with your specific security requirements. With the right security measures in place, cloud storage can be a reliable and secure solution for your data storage and management needs.

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7 Cybersecurity basics to never forget

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No matter how much people hear “data safety,” they still can get sloppy about their cybersecurity. One of the reasons is that there are so many constant reminders that the warnings just become that much more background noise. Today, let’s do a quick review of the one you hear most about ( and most likely to forget about) Passwords.

Passwords

As annoying as they are (and who doesn’t doest curse them sometimes) passwords are a basic and necessary evil to protect access to your data. One of the root innovations that helps sidestep the tedium of entering ( and remembering ) passwords are facial recognition and fingerprint security measures. These can be a real timesaver, but they aren’t readily available across every site and device. So that leaves us with the question, what are the best practices for maintaining strong passwords and defending multiple sites, programs or devices (also known as “ good password hygiene’’)?

Maintaining password best practices

Simple passwords, with nothing but regular vocabulary words (even in other languages) are easily cracked. Most sites generally require mixed case, alphanumeric and a symbol or two for it to be an approved password. Here are a few things to remember.

    • Avoid using the same password across multiple sites or devices.
    • Don’t share your passwords with co-workers, no matter how convenient or timesaving it may be
    • Don’t send passwords ( or any critical personal data, for that matter) via text or email.
    • Don’t save them on a device in an unencrypted file
    • Remember to change them periodically
    • Be sure that access to files is removed immediately when an employee leaves an organization or no longer has need to access particular programs, data or machines

Multi-factor authentication

Related to the password method of maintaining data security, multi-factor authentication is becoming increasingly popular and is often required by some organizations. Basically, this takes the password idea and adds another layer to ensure that the correct user is entering the password. Your ATM is an example of MFA. Just a password isn’t enough at the ATM–you have to have your ATM card also. Most of us know MFA through the request to enter a one time code that is sent to us, on a different platform, after we enter our usual password. Again the idea here is that even if a password is stolen, a second form of identification is required to ensure the correct person is gaining access. NOTE: A common form of MFA is to send a text message to your phone. Be aware that if you leave the country and don’t buy a text package for your phone, you may not be able to access some sites that use this form of MFA.

In short, we hear most about password safety, but because it can be such a pain to change them, we open ourselves and our business to data vulnerability. Contact Direct One for ideas to improve your data security.

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