What is cloud security? Risks and best practices

Data security is an important topic in today’s digital age. Making and keeping cloud services secure for users seems to be one of the biggest chal­lenges. But what exactly is cloud security and how can you use cloud services safely?

What is meant by cloud security?

Cloud security refers to all measures taken to protect data that is stored in the cloud. Cloud security applies to both cloud hosting, where ap­plic­a­tions are hosted on vir­tu­al­ised hardware, and tra­di­tion­al services from cloud storage providers like Google Drive or Box, which provide customers with pre­con­figured webspace. When it comes to cloud computing, cloud providers are typically re­spons­ible for ensuring the security of the data. As such, it is essential for customers who have data security concerns to choose a provider that places a high value on the security of their cloud. As much con­veni­ence as the cloud offers, it is still often seen as a risky option. To minimise the risks as­so­ci­ated with using cloud services, it’s important to first know what the risks are.

What are the biggest cloud security risks?

Cloud in­fra­struc­tures are complex, highly in­ter­con­nec­ted systems that use multiple in­ter­faces to provide con­veni­ent access to cloud resources. With this con­veni­ence comes certain security risks that make having a com­pre­hens­ive cloud security strategy crucial. The three primary threats as­so­ci­ated with using cloud services are:

1. Cloud hardware failure
2. User errors
3. Third-party attacks

Cloud hardware failure

The im­port­ance of cloud security often becomes apparent when a cloud server is un­avail­able. The problem isn’t, however, re­stric­ted to service outages, which results in users being tem­por­ar­ily unable to access data and projects. If the provider’s hardware fails due to a defect, power outage or for some other reason, it can result in permanent data loss.

User errors

Ensuring robust cloud security is not, however, solely the re­spons­ib­il­ity of the cloud service provider. Even if they implement the best security measures, it doesn’t guarantee 100% pro­tec­tion. Instances where cloud services are used in­cor­rectly or im­prop­erly are outside of the realm of their control. For example, a mis­con­fig­ur­a­tion of access rights could lead to un­au­thor­ised in­di­vidu­als being granted access to your cloud en­vir­on­ment. Likewise, an employee could ac­ci­dent­ally share a link that provides access to sensitive company data with all of their contacts. When it comes to cloud security, human factors should not be un­der­es­tim­ated.

Third-party attacks

The human element is also front and centre in the third risk on this list. The more sensitive or valuable the data and projects you store in the cloud are, the more enticing they become for malicious hackers. Digital data theft has become an extremely lucrative business for criminals, making cloud security all the more important. Criminals employ tech­niques such as phishing and pharming to acquire login cre­den­tials, allowing them to gain access to users’ digital secrets, often without being detected. Other attack methods like DDoS attacks aim to in­ca­pa­cit­ate cloud services, causing harm to both providers and their customers.

What are cloud security best practices?

Providers employ a range of measures to ensure the security of a cloud and cloud services. However, as the risks above il­lus­trate, the behaviour of in­di­vidu­al users is also crucial for optimal cloud security.

To achieve both a high level of security and con­veni­ence, it is not enough to only have robust pro­tec­tion mech­an­isms in place for the software and hardware being used. Cloud security also involves re­spons­ible data handling and making all attempts at accessing the cloud or cloud service as secure as possible. Pre­vent­ive measures for potential failures and data recovery features also belong to an effective cloud security package.

General pro­tec­tion of cloud data can be achieved in various ways. Access to the cloud can be secured, for example, through two-factor au­then­tic­a­tion. The use of VPNs is also a highly popular security measure. Providers can also ensure increased cloud security through tools that detect and block un­au­thor­ised access attempts and malware. In the event that data is in­ter­cep­ted, en­cryp­tion ensures that attackers cannot make use of the in­form­a­tion that they have obtained.

The following measures can be im­ple­men­ted to enhance cloud security beyond baseline pro­tec­tion and ensure business con­tinu­ity in the event of service un­avail­ab­il­ity or data loss:

• Data re­dund­ancy: many cloud service providers store data at a minimum of two different locations. This allows for optimal mit­ig­a­tion of hardware failures.
• Backups: creating backups of projects and documents is an important factor for increased cloud security. Should data loss occur, com­pre­hens­ive backup strategies are typically capable of ensuring complete res­tor­a­tion.
• Policies and training: par­tic­u­larly for busi­nesses, it is important to establish policies for the proper use of cloud services. Regular trainings can be carried out to educate employees about the risks as­so­ci­ated with using the cloud.
• Data privacy: pro­tect­ing your data from prying eyes goes beyond safe­guard­ing it from third parties. If you want to ensure that the provider doesn’t have any sort of claim to the data you store in their cloud, it’s important to read the terms and con­di­tions, and choose a provider that pri­or­it­ises data privacy.

What can I do to improve the security of my cloud data?

Whether you use cloud services privately or at work, the more im­port­ance you place on cloud security, the safer your data will be in the end. Below we have sum­mar­ised helpful tips for in­creas­ing security in the cloud.

Tip 1: choose a re­spons­ible and reputable cloud provider

In most cases, you will be using cloud services that are provided by an external provider. This means you’ll be en­trust­ing a sig­ni­fic­ant portion of the re­spons­ib­il­ity for your cloud security to the provider, making it all the more important to choose a provider you can trust. Before you decide on a company, it’s best to check which measures they take to ensure the security of their customers’ data.

It’s also a good idea to choose cloud services with servers based in the UK or the EU. This not only ensures faster per­form­ance but also guar­an­tees com­pli­ance with strict data pro­tec­tion laws.

Tip 2: secure login process

Logging into a cloud service is one of the most crucial aspects of cloud security. The more secure the login process, the less likely it will be for third parties to gain access to your data. The first step is to choose a strong password, making sure not to share it with others. You can further enhance login security by using mul­ti­factor au­then­tic­a­tion.

Tip 3: define user per­mis­sions for different users

When sharing cloud services with others, the user per­mis­sions should be clearly defined. This is par­tic­u­larly crucial for companies. With access control, you can determine who is allowed to make con­fig­ur­a­tion changes, who has access to sub­dir­ect­or­ies, who is subject to re­stric­ted access times, and who has view-only rights. User per­mis­sions should also be reviewed regularly. When an employee leaves the company, it’s vital that you revoke all of their access rights.

Tip 4: encrypt data

When storing data online, it’s always best to encrypt it. There are numerous en­cryp­tion methods available, some of which are tech­nic­ally complex. Most users rely on the en­cryp­tion software provided by their cloud service provider. With an external en­cryp­tion tool, however, the quality of the en­cryp­tion method isn’t solely left up to the provider. Instead, you as the user can decide which en­cryp­tion method is best for enhancing the security of your data and with that, the security of the cloud you are using.

Tip 5: create backups

Even the strongest cloud security package cannot provide 100% pro­tec­tion against data loss. That’s why it’s important to develop a robust backup strategy that allows you to prepare for potential emer­gen­cies and easily restore lost data when needed. Many cloud providers offer backup solutions, but for optimal pro­tec­tion, it is advisable to have an external backup solution. With an external tool, you don’t have to rely on a single provider for your backup strategy.