Cloud computing, one of the most ubiquitous of all tech solutions, comes with it the risk of data breaches. Securing both the platform and its points of entry are key to mitigating the risks in the cloud.
Cybersecurity should be treated as a universal measure that should be applied to all aspects of the business rather than being the sole responsibility of a single department. Cybercriminals often look for multiple points of entry, and it is often not enough to cover just one base. Companies should aim to incorporate cybersecurity measures across their business structure.
Cloud computing has often been touted as the future of enterprise software. The ubiquity of Cloud computing has provided companies (and their employees) with immense flexibility, providing them with access to key work files in remote locations. This not only allows businesses to make significant reductions in the cost of scaling up their operations but also allows employees to work remotely with greater efficiency.
The Task at Hand
However, all this convenience and connectivity comes at tremendous risk, something that companies today can ill-afford to ignore. Even the most basic of tools, such as Microsoft Office 365, are not without their vulnerabilities, and built-in solutions are often insufficient. Investing in greater cybersecurity measures offer Office 365 protection from the risks of data mining and other threats.
These risks, fortunately, do not outweigh the myriad benefits offered by adopting cloud computing solutions across a business. It does, however, highlight the need for greater awareness of cloud vulnerability and measures to curtail its risks.
Opening Moves
To start, companies should take advantage of all current options offered by their cloud solutions provider. Although they should not rely on these in exclusion, they are often the first lines of defense and are meant to stall less elaborate cybercriminal activity. Frequently, many cloud services offer additional security options like two-factor authentication, which can come in handy when preventing easy access for cybercriminals.
Proper employee identification is the lynchpin of mobile and cloud computing cybersecurity. Enforcing a password policy that favors stronger passwords can reduce the likelihood of breaches by making passwords more difficult to guess. Likewise, using encrypting password managers can add an extra obstacle for cybercriminals, protecting access to vital points of entry to the company’s assets in the cloud.
Expanding the Arsenal
Due to mounting threats, cybersecurity investments should be among the top areas for internal spending; data security is a pivotal part of business survival. Security measures for both proprietary cloud platforms and commercial cloud solutions are critical to ensuring the prevention of data loss. Added security solutions can prevent the malicious entry of third parties through malware while creating contingencies for possible breaches.
Third parties are not the only threats to cloud security. Without the security offered by employer networks, employees may be exposing proprietary data to risks. Having a clear security policy surrounding off-site internet use can reduce the exposure to potential cybersecurity hazards and create a system for handling security concerns.
Another line of defense—one that can serve both the company and its employees well in the long run—is cybersecurity education. Learning good web security habits aims to make it more difficult for cybercriminals to rely on social engineering tactics to acquire passwords or find security vulnerabilities. A successful cybersecurity education program teaches best practices and can bolster the effectiveness of subsequent cybersecurity measures. Applying these lessons at home benefits employees by securing their own computers and adds another layer of security for companies with telecommuting policies.
