As it seems today, the cloud is not only here to stay, but it’s also set to dictate business trends in the future. Now that a large number of companies are moving their data to the cloud and using SaaS options, some business people are worried about cloud security. While it’s undoubtedly getting improved as we speak, it’s still good to learn more details about some essential cloud security features. Here are five most relevant points for every business owner to check before they start using cloud services.
The country of origin
There has to be a country of origin on the label of every product in the world. However, entrepreneurs sometimes forget to inquire about the exact location where their precious business data will be kept during their cloud stay. Of course, your provider will tell you, without hesitation, where their office is and where they’re registered. However, it still doesn’t reveal where your cloud account will be physically located. Therefore, always ask your provider where their server farms are. That way, you’ll know what legal authorities to turn to in case of a data breach. Know more about
Handling outdated equipment
After a period of time, the large-memory storage devices used by your cloud provider will have to be replaced by modern equipment. Here’s where you might be exposed to a risk of having your data revealed to unauthorized parties. While you will most certainly be told that your data will be safely transferred to those new devices, make sure to add a special section to your contract with the provider, so that they are held responsible if third parties come into possession of your documents. Also,learn more about the key legal matters of cloud computing in general before you make any legal moves. Of course, consult a cloud lawyer, so as to negotiate adding those special sections to the contract.
Safe data cloud journey
Your data are highly vulnerable when they’re being sent from your in-house computers to your cloud account. This is why this transit route has to be properly secured by an adequate encryption system. Therefore,communicate your concerns to your provider and they should offer you a multi-layered solution that will ease your worries and protect your data more thoroughly.
Moreover, when the data have been insulated from any along-the-wayintrusion, they need to get the same treatment on your cloud storage account. Several layers of protection should be introduced for this part, as well, so that the data remains safe.Learn more about different encryption tricks for data at rest in an informative piece published by Tech republic.
Inside data features
In addition to big data cloud services, modern businesses also need to ensure proper in-house data storage. While today the majority of businesses don’t keep bulks of data on their premises, some delicate parts of business datas hould still be kept inside the house. For instance, gathering more info about modern intranet solutions and installing one for smooth and efficient work will advance your communication and business productivity. Nevertheless, it will also generate some confidential data that shouldn’t be shared on any public cloud services. In accordance with that, you should keep storing your top-secret business plans and communication transcripts on in-house storage devices.
Staff training
Since the majority of data leaks are caused by employees, every business owner needs to check if their employees know how to handle online data. They have to learn the basics of storing data in the cloud, such as opening and accessing a cloud account, syncing the data stored that way, as well as protecting them with passwords. For starters, you can use Google Drive or any other similar free cloud service to simulate real cloud surroundings for your employees. Staff training sessions will prevent them from making mistakes that could lead to data loss. Also, learn how big players prevent this employee-induced cloud data loss in a Wall Street Journal article.
When you’ve conducted your own little investigation into the security features that your cloud provider offers, it will be less stressful to start using their services. Nevertheless, take a cautious attitude and store the most sensitive data on your in-house storage devices. That way you’ll both improve your business productivity by using cloud storage and keep your most secret business data away from the curious eye of the public.
Dan Radak is a marketing professional with ten years of experience. He is currently working with a number of companies in the field of digital marketing, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies. He is also a coauthor on several technology websites and regular contributor to Technivorz.
admin