- Choose a reputable cloud service provider
Choosing the right cloud service provider is often the first and the most critical step in ensuring the security of your cloud-based data and applications is to choose a reputable cloud service provider. To get the right service provider, you should look for one with a strong track record of security and compliance. The chosen provider should also be the one that has taken steps to protect its infrastructure from cyber threats. Ensure the provider offers encryption and other security features that meet your needs.
- Categorize your cloud locations and services
Before you delve into cloud security, you should map out where everything is located and determine if the place is the best. Mapping includes choosing the right cloud location, which can be hybrid, private or public and the best service (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS or FaaS). When determining the best service, you should review aspects such as the assets, information users, and use cases.
- Use strong authentication and access controls
Weak authentication and poor access controls are the primary ways that cybercriminals gain access to cloud-based data and applications. You can prevent this by using strong passwords and multifactor authentication, ensuring that only authorized users can access your cloud resources. Also, you should carefully manage access permissions to ensure that only people that must access certain resources can access them.
- Encrypt your data
Encryption of cloud-based data is another important step in securing your cloud environment. This is the process of converting data into code that cannot be read without a decryption key. Encrypting data helps to ensure that even if your data is intercepted, it cannot be read by unauthorized parties. Most cloud service providers offer encryption options, so take advantage of them.
- Implement a strong disaster recovery plan
One of the risks of cloud computing is the potential for data loss or corruption due to hardware failure, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events. To mitigate these risks, it is important to implement a strong disaster recovery plan that includes regular backups, redundancy, and failover capabilities.
- Use Log Management and Continuous Monitoring
Once you have selected the right service provider, you should constantly monitor your cloud environment to ensure secure operations. You should choose the right monitoring tools depending on your selected cloud services, industry, and unique business use cases. Still, several recommendations exist to help guide the way. As you plan to select the right monitoring strategy and tools, one way to prepare yourself for making such selections is by investing your time into becoming a certified cloud security professional.
- Keep your cloud infrastructure up to date
Another critical step in cloud security is keeping your cloud infrastructure up to date at all times. You can do this by applying security patches and updates to your cloud-based applications and operating systems and regularly reviewing and updating your security policies and procedures.
- Train your employees on cloud security best practices
Finally, employees are the most critical component in securing the cloud. It is important to train your staff on cloud security best practices, including educating them on the risks associated with cloud computing and training them on how to identify and prevent common cyber threats such as phishing and social engineering attacks.