One of the reasons that some people and companies are still a bit wary of getting on the cloud, is fear that the cloud is unable to protect them from all of the security risks that are out there. Are these fears unfounded? Actually, even though the cloud hosting environment is much safer and more secure today than it was a few years ago, there are still a number of risks. It is important to understand each of these risks and to learn how to minimize those risks as much as possible.
Fixing the Data Breach
Companies have important data on their cloud servers, and having someone access that information without permission could cause a huge security risk. A hacker could gain access to names of customers, their addresses, and even financial information. This could essentially destroy a company. Minimizing these risks can be difficult, as shoring up security in one area can highlight weaknesses in another area. Many companies make sure to use encryption, which makes it far more difficult for hackers to get into the system.
Dealing With Data Loss
Another issue that companies worry about with their cloud hosting security is data loss. Having data disappear could be just as disastrous as having someone steal the data for many businesses. A hacker with malicious intentions may delete data right from your server. Other types of loss could stem from the cloud hosting company having no backups and no protection from fire, flood, and other types of damage. Having backups is highly important. However, companies need to make sure that they are always following all of the rules, regulations, and the law whenever they store customer information. For example, those who are in the medical field need to abide by the provisions set forth by HIPAA to ensure patient security.
Preventing Account Hijacking
If an attacker or spy gains access to the credentials, such as the password, of someone who works for a company, they have access to all of the same information that the employee has. They can look at various activities happening within the company, manipulate data, provide false information, and much more.
The most important thing for companies to do in order to mitigate this risk is to ensure safety of those credentials. Companies need to make sure all of the people who have access to the server, even small parts of the server, never share credentials with anyone. They also need to use a two-stage authentication procedure, which can cut down on the risk greatly. Changing passwords frequently is another good way to reduce the chance of attackers having unfettered access to private company information. Additionally, make sure that each employee only has access to the area that he or she needs.
Dreaded Denial of Service
Denial of service attacks are a rather huge problem today as well, and since companies rely so much on their cloud hosting service, a DoS attack could cost them big. During these attacks, people who actually want to visit your site will be unable to get to it, since the attacker jams your server with countless requests. Even a partially successful attack can slow a company’s site and cost them business. The best way to combat this is to use cloud hosting companies that offer protection against these types of attacks specifically.
By taking precautions against these four types of attack, it does help to improve the overall security of your company. Those businesses both large and small should consider these tips.