What is Cloud Storage Security? Securing the Use of Cloud Storage

 

As business cloud adoption continues to accelerate, IT and security teams must ensure that cloud storage and services are used safely.

 

A Cloud Storage Security Definition

While cloud storage is handy since it allows employees to access their data from anywhere, at any time, and on almost any device, cloud storage security is a major worry for IT and security departments. The advantages of cloud storage, which range from scalability and accessibility to lower IT costs, are driving fast adoption at businesses across the world. However, there are actions that businesses can take to strengthen cloud storage security and keep critical data safe and secure in the cloud.

 

The Need For Cloud Storage Security

Cloud services are used by businesses and organizations because they offer a more cost-effective and flexible alternative to pricey, local machine hardware. However, doing business in the cloud exposes confidential files and sensitive data to additional dangers, because cloud-stored data is outside the scope of many of the protections that secure sensitive data on-premise. As a result, businesses must go above and beyond the minimum safeguards provided by cloud providers to secure cloud storage.

Enterprises have become more reliant on cloud technology as a result of the advent of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and the linked office, although at the expense of security issues. Data leakage has been discovered in even smart printers, and as more business equipment become internet-connected, the risk of compromise or accidental leaking grows.

 

Cloud Storage Security Basics

Cloud storage security is becoming a major issue for companies as they go farther down the cloud adoption curve, both in terms of IT architecture and information security measures. Companies are now recognizing the need of protecting sensitive data while allowing employees to benefit from the cloud's performance and flexibility.

Cloud storage security is a mutual responsibility between cloud storage providers and businesses. Baseline safeguards, such as authentication, access control, and encryption, are implemented by cloud storage providers for their platforms and the data they handle. Most businesses then enhance these safeguards with additional security measures of their own to strengthen cloud data security and restrict access to sensitive data in the cloud.

 

Cloud Storage Security Challenges

Employees utilize free file sharing and cloud storage services that are not permitted by the business and may not satisfy minimal security criteria, which is one of the major issues with cloud storage security. Employees can put corporate data at danger by utilizing these services, whether they realize it or not, especially if they do so without the IT department's knowledge or consent.

Organizations must educate their employees about the dangers posed by sharing and keeping information in the cloud, in addition to deploying security solutions to safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access or egress and enforcing cloud security rules. Employees who accidentally utilize services and apps that do not satisfy the company's security standards must also be protected.

 

Cloud Storage Security Solutions

Cloud storage security data protection solutions give comprehensive visibility and policy-based control over how data may be transferred to and from the cloud, guaranteeing that only allowed data leaves the company's environment and that data access is restricted to authorized parties. Companies can enact tighter data safeguards than many cloud storage providers give, as well as providing a second line of defense in the event that a provider's security is compromised.

When selecting a cloud storage security solution, businesses should look for features such as continuous monitoring and visibility for all data interactions with cloud storage applications, granular control over file movement based on browser and OS events involving file sharing and cloud storage sites, integrations with leading cloud storage providers to extend data protection measures to data stored in the cloud, and automatic encryption of sensitive data.