In today’s time, business organizations are generating huge volumes of data. With the rise of cyberattacks & data breaches, preventing data from falling into the hands of malicious actors & unauthorized access can be a concern for business heads. it may become a challenge for CIOs & CISOs to ensure data integrity across its different stages, right from input to processing & getting final output. Business heads often apprehend that the existing data security mechanisms might not be enough to secure their Big Data ecosystem, thereby making it more challenging. Addressing these security concerns, we see a shift of in the adoption to Cloud Computing due to its benefits compared to its on-premises solutions.
Understanding Cloud Security
Cloud Security is usually linked with the amalgamation of technologies and procedures that are essential for securing Cloud Computing against various cybersecurity threats. A CIO needs to understand that cybersecurity threats don’t exist outside the organization only; they might be present internally as well. Prevention of data breaches and thefts is important for a business to ensure their customer’s trust & business reputation. With the ongoing global pandemic, businesses were forced to adopt the new normal of working from remote locations, which may have required more enterprises moving their data to Cloud Computing. A large number of employees across industries access this data using their devices, which often serve as a wider attack surface. Such extended surfaces often serve as the exposed & open ports via which cybercriminals could use for attacking the data.
Best Practices for Data Security
CIO & CISOs need to deploy stringent and industry-leading best practices for ensuring maximum security of data present in the Cloud. By adopting these practices, CISOs may be able to cut down risks associated with the security of data present in the Cloud-
-
- Not all employees may have to access every application or data present in the Cloud Computing infrastructure in any business organization. As a CISO, one must define proper authorization levels to ensure that only a limited set of people, commonly known as System Administrators, have access to critical applications & data. For internal employees, a correctly-defined access control mechanism ensures data remains secure from adulterations & edits. Cloud providers must also adhere to various regulatory standards for providing maximum security to the data present in the Cloud.
- CIOs and CISOs must perform real-time monitoring & analysis of user activities to identify any form of discrepancy from the normal & defined usage. Such irregularities are often an indication of a potential data breach or cyberattack. Using automated threat detection tools helps in ‘catching’ a cybercriminal beforehand & avert the losses. Businesses must use SOC (Security Operations Center) from trusted security providers that ensure a close and continuous monitoring of networks & systems against any potential threats & attacks.
- Hackers today may taret to drain out maximum critical data out of business to apparently ‘dent’ a brand’s image & reputation. For accessing this secure information, these hackers can deploy various social engineering techniques like phishing attacks, website spoofing, or social media spying. Training employees against these attacks will ensure they don’t fall to tricks and baits of hackers, with no compromise to sensitive data. CIOs need to offer training to employees for the techniques mentioned above.
- Huge volumes of data stored & accessed from Cloud solutions might accidentally leave an open vulnerability. Business heads must perform timely audits of their deployed security mechanisms to detect & eliminate any vulnerability or threat that might have intruded in the system.
- Behind any data breach, a weak authentication may be a prominent factor. Open points in authentication systems may allow hackers to get illegal access to sensitive data. Thus, it becomes important to have a robust authentication system in place with no discrete authentication tokens.
Concluding Remarks
Cloud Computing is a cost-effective & secure option compared to traditional & on-premises solutions. CISOs of businesses must ensure their Cloud Providers are highly experienced and offer a Cloud Computing solution that is completely secure and also complies with industry-defined security standards. As a CISO, one must follow leading practices in the industry for managing the Cloud Services to derive the maximum value out from Cloud Providers.
Author Bio:
Piyush Somani, Managing director and Chairman, ESDS Software Solution Limited holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering (electronics) from the University of Pune. He has over 16 years of experience in the information technology sector. As the founder of the Company at the age of 26, he has been instrumental in expanding the operations of the Company in India and several international markets. He is also on the board of the Company’s Subsidiaries, ESDS Internet Services Private Limited, SPOCHUB Solutions Private Limited, ESDS Cloud FZ LLC, and ESDS Global Software Solution, Inc.