Cloud technology is hugely popular all over the world, with consumers, business professionals, and even students and educators using it to store their data and files in a remote location. With the cloud, you can easily access your files from wherever you are, complete projects while you are on the go, and enjoy easy collaborations with people from across the globe. But before you start working in the cloud, you need to understand why security is essential, so keep reading to learn more about keeping your information safe.
There Are Many Cloud Security Threats
You may not realise it, but there are actually several cloud security threats that you need to be aware of and protect yourself against. While there are many software products, such as those from weaveability.com, that provide built-in security features for business owners, if you are using the cloud on your own, you need to take the right precautions.
Some of the common cloud security threats include data breaches, broken authentication, compromised credentials, hacked APIs and interfaces, system vulnerabilities that can be exploited, and DoS attacks.
Sharing a Cloud Increases Vulnerabilities
Shared technology will inevitably present vulnerabilities that can pose significant threats to your data. Remember that a cloud service provider will often share everything from infrastructure and platforms to applications, so if one of those layers is vulnerable, it will affect everyone on the cloud. Just one misconfiguration can compromise everything that occurs across the entire cloud.
The Threat of Permanent Data Loss
Permanent data loss is yet another threat to the data that is stored in the cloud. While rare, this type of data loss is entirely possible if a malicious hacker is able to get into your cloud and delete your data completely in an attempt to harm your business. It is important to keep in mind, too, that cloud data centres are just as vulnerable to destruction of data as a result of a natural disaster as any other facility. Therefore, you should distribute your applications and data across several zones to increase security and protection of data, and have several backup measures in place as well so you can recover data, whether it was hacked and deleted or destroyed in a disaster.
The Threat of the APT Parasite
Advanced Persistent Threats, also known as APTs, are parasite-like attacks on cloud-based systems. They can infiltrate a system, establish a foothold, and infiltrate intellectual property and data over extended periods of time. Without adequate security measures in place, an APT could get to your data in the cloud.
Finally…
As you can see, there are several important reasons why you need to be absolutely certain that the cloud that you are using is fully secure. Asking the right questions will help you determine whether or not a cloud provider that you are interested in partnering with will be able to give you access to a fully secure cloud.
Websites by Masterhouse
Masterhouse Media is an innovative digital consulting agency from Vancouver, BC specializing in web design, social media and digital strategy. Masterhouse is best known for launching the popular Internet portal Clubvibes.com in 1999, one of the first social media platforms on the Internet. The company is currently focused on building digital strategies and premium websites for clients. Find out more at masterhouse.net
