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Tag Archives: data security

Data security
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories cloud, Cyber Security

Data Security Challenges in Cloud Computing

Businesses of all sizes are migrating to the cloud to take advantage of the increased data availability, substantial cost savings, and data redundancy that cloud computing offers versus a traditional data center-based physical infrastructure.

By removing data stores from storage closets, opting for the cloud can help data be managed and safeguarded per best practices and legal requirements.

For businesses, choosing the best cloud service and putting in place their own security measures present many difficulties. Since there are now more cloud platforms available, it’s critical to make sure the service you select supports data integrity, privacy, and availability.

When moving to the cloud or changing your cloud storage plan, keep the following factors in mind.

Top Data Security Challenges in Cloud Computing

Business apps can these days grow to sky-high levels and handle complex use cases thanks to the boundless potential of cloud services. However, the level of threats that data on the cloud poses also rises.

We’ll then look at some of the greatest hurdles to protecting your cloud data.

Insecure Access Control Points

Cloud services are by their very nature available from any location and on any device. The widespread usage of components like API endpoints, which can be accessed from anywhere, poses a serious threat to the cloud’s security standing.

By making API endpoints vulnerable, a cybercriminal can access data and possibly change it, jeopardizing its integrity.

Here are two often-used ways to secure yourself:

  • Penetration testing which simulates an external assault on a set of API endpoints to breach security and gain access to the company’s confidential data.
  • Audits of general system security

Some challenges are connected. And to that point, insecure API leads to misconfigured cloud storage.

‍Misconfigured Cloud Storage

Misconfigured storage is a follow-up to an API (Application Programming Interface) cloud security issue. In most cases, security risks arise in cloud computing due to human error and audit done in haste. Cloud misconfiguration is actually a setting for servers (used for computational or storage purposes) that leaves them susceptible to hacks.

The most often seen forms of misconfiguration are:

  • Default server settings for cloud security, including typical access control and data accessibility;
  • Inadequate access control: When an individual with limited access accidentally gains access to confidential information;
  • Mismanaged data access – leaving sensitive data without security measures for accessing it.

Here are some tips on avoiding such a scenario:

  • When setting up a specific cloud server, double-check the settings for cloud security. Even though this seems like an obvious tip, people tend to gloss over it in favor of supposedly more pressing matters like putting goods in storage without thoroughly dealing with cybersecurity.
  • Check security settings using specialized tools. Third-party tools from trusted providers can be used to periodically monitor the condition of security settings and spot potential issues before they become serious.
Data Security

Data Loss

Since it is simple to lose track of how much data you are storing, constant monitoring is necessary to ensure data security.

Data loss may occur in some situations where users don’t have adequate controls. In the cloud, data loss does not always equate to data being forever lost. The user just might not have access to this sensitive information for a variety of reasons. Lack of data backups, automatic data loss controls, and even audits and risk assessments can all result in data loss in the cloud.

Data Breaches

A data breach poses a cause-and-effect risk to data security. If a data breach occurs, it signifies that the business failed to address some cloud security issues, which then had a causal effect.

An incident where information is accessed and retrieved without authority is called a data breach. Typically, this incident causes a data leak.

Although classified info can be made available to the public, it is typically sold illegally or kept hostage by cybercriminals.

The event itself is a stain on a company’s reputation, even though the severity of the effects depends on the particular company’s crisis management capabilities.

Final Word

Proper data security in the cloud has typically proven difficult and ineffective. However, there are ways to simplify your approach to cloud security, particularly if you select a reliable managed service provider.

Businesses will continue to move to cloud infrastructure as remote working becomes more common. Because of this, it is more important than ever for enterprises to have a solid, trustworthy, and comprehensive cloud security policy in place to host a safe and secure cloud infrastructure. Having a plan in place can help businesses in avoiding overspending or underspending on cloud security measures.

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Remote Workers’ Data Secure
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Cyber Security, Managed Services

How to Keep Your Remote Workers’ Data Secure

The worst of the pandemic may be behind us, but the tremendous changes it made to the workplace seem here to stay. Most of the changes, at least. Many businesses were forced to (finally) allow their workers to work from home.

Now, companies are staying by this model since it means saving costs on office leasing, for instance. Not just that, but CEOs and our superiors couldn’t help but notice something a lot of us already knew or were guessing – lots of employees are more productive when working remotely!

So, as many organizations are sticking to the remote way of work, or at least a hybrid and flexible way of work, we wanted to help you tackle some glaring issues. You may have noticed or heard that the topic of cybersecurity is not waning in popularity. And for good reason – cyber criminals are shamelessly stealing company data. In such an environment, how can you keep your worker’s data secure?

We got some advice below.

Make Sure Your Staff is Working on Company Computers

These days, most of us have personal laptops and desktop computers that are powerful and reliable enough to handle our work obligations. While it may be tempting to save some money and not invest in such devices for your staff, a smarter move is to think ahead and secure your business from damage.

working remotely Data Secure

Because when your staff works on their personal devices, there is a greater risk of data breaches and leaks. Why? Simply, you can’t control their device and how it’s kept safe. Even more alarming, you can’t control confidentiality, so your business and trade secrets are easily compromised.

Moreover, if you find yourself dealing with a disgruntled ex-worker, you don’t want to end up in a situation where you don’t have any rights or control when it comes to your business’s sensitive data.

Protect Your Internet Connections

Criminals often use unsecured WiFi as a gateway to your business operations. So while it’s a great idea that your remote workers get out and about, working from a cafe for a few days – criminals are waiting for a chance to breach your organization. So, your remote workers simply need to be instructed on how to keep the firm’s data secure.

The easiest method is to mandate that the staff uses a virtual private network (VPN). Using VPNs before connecting to public WiFi networks will encrypt the remote employer’s internet traffic and scan for breaches.

But to adequately protect yourself, bear in mind that not all VPNs are equal. To ensure that your firm is using the correct VPN, get one that covers all of the factors you require, not just last-mile encryption. Since this is a delicate operation, partner up with a reliable MSP (managed service provider) that can secure your operations fully.

Create a Safe Remote Access IT Infrastructure

You must pay special attention if you have digital assets both on-site and in the cloud. Cloud-based assets, for instance, sometimes have sufficient security procedures File servers, email servers, and corporation databases – are all examples of on-site assets. And they may have not been set up to support remote employees.

As a result, if you have both, you will require a security and access solution that covers several unconnected systems. It may be more cost-effective to move existing on-site systems to cloud services and cancel the existing arrangement. Another alternative is to centralize the software and data on a terminal server designed to support remote access. 

All in all, it is a good idea to use a single-sign-on (SSO) solution to connect all corporate IT systems. This allows the company to set access rights for numerous systems and monitor employee login activities from a single point of control.

Remote Workers’ Data Secure

Educate Your Staff on Cyber Dangers

A great way to think ahead is to give lectures and send staff on seminars concerning safe work behavior. Particularly if, among your staff, you have older generations more accustomed to working offline. 

Every day, phishing emails and spam land in your worker’s inbox. It seems easy enough not to fall for these emails, but sadly, some employees are more easily duped. If you take the effort to educate your staff on the hallmarks of phishing emails and spam, they will be less likely to fall for these scams. That is a basic way for ensuring the integrity of your company’s data security.

Final Word

It’s not easy to keep your business data secure in today’s world. But with the right combination of diligence, attention, IT infrastructure, good IT managed service providers, and staff education – your chance of growing a business is much, much better.

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IT Assessment
Posted on Author Roxanne Demakis Categories Cyber Security, Network Security

Top 7 Benefits of an IT Assessment

We’re all guilty of delaying our routine checkups with doctors and dentists. And we’re also guilty of doing so with IT assessment. But the same as with our bodies, we should have an ongoing objective view of what exactly is going on within our IT system. All of this is done for the reason of mitigating future risk.

There are a myriad of benefits of an IT checkup. A complete IT checkup gives you an overview of your business’ IT situation. That way, you have a better view of your operations and a complete outside perspective. Also, system assessments keep you focused on trends in your industry and on what your employees are doing.

Let’s expand on these benefits of IT assessments a bit more.

Defining an IT Assessment

First, let’s understand a bit better what we mean by “IT assessment”. This sort of checkup refers to the assessment of the general strengths and weaknesses of an IT system in any organizational network. Along with the assessment, a list of suggestions is given, as well. The suggestions focus on ways to improve system security, network design, and the general IT infrastructure.

What has to be done for an IT assessment to happen?

For starters, you need to hire a reliable IT consultation service provider and give them total access to the organization network, IT facilities, and other needed data. Next, the provider conducts the assessment by checking key areas of your digital environment, such as:

  • System Security
  • Data Security
  • Mobile Device Management 
  • Server Infrastructure 
  • Network software 
  • Etc. 

Before we look at the most obvious benefits on system checkups, bear in mind that there are risks in IT assessments. They mostly come from the risk of your data being leaked to third-party vendors.

IT Assessment for your company

5 Benefits of an IT Assessments

Some of the best practices expert IT service providers recommend can help in building a strong company foundation as well as reliable plans for company growth.

Reduced chance of accidental misconfiguration: The company can decrease its system vulnerabilities in the cloud environment by implementing the specific configuration adjustments recommended as part of the cloud security assessment.

Reduced chance of missed notifications: The recommendations of the cloud security assessment team can help an organization enhance its ability to detect and respond to compromise, preventing a minor issue from becoming a full-blown breach.

Improved resiliency: The IT assessment team will provide suggestions to help enterprises recover from breaches more quickly.

Detection of past compromise: While an IT security assessment is not a full-fledged IT compromise investigation, it can detect deviations from the standard in the organization’s IT configuration that may have been caused by compromised behavior.

How IT Assessments Help Your Team Function Better?

So, the technical aspect of benefits is pretty clear now. But how does that further help your team operate better?

Employee Awareness

Apart from the apparent security benefits, one of the things that individuals overlook when conducting these assessments is their employees. All of the information gathered from a checkup like this can be utilized to improve employee performance and raise understanding of the hazards they face, such as how to spot phishing attack emails.

Motivation

Another benefit for your team is that assessments will serve to remind them of your commitment to security and adequate procedures. Every day, we all have a lot on our plates, and it can be difficult to keep all of them spinning at the same time. Maintaining the integrity of your systems by reinforcing priorities is always a wise technique.

Budget Planning for Middle and Upper Management

It’s vital to have good reasoning for the plans you’ll have when creating budgets for the following year. Your cloud assessment’s facts and lists will help you justify future spending and explain the long-term benefits of the acquisitions you intend to make. All of this information also aids in determining what security requirements should be prioritized in your IT budget.

IT checkup

Final Word

No matter if you looked up this article because you are currently facing IT difficulties in your company, or are just looking out for options to keep your ongoing business safe, we hope this helps you get your operations in order. Having an assessment done will help you build a foundation of security controls and assist you identify risks that are leaving you vulnerable to attack.

After all, all organizations and businesses need to employ the help of IT experts from time to time – at least once in 6 months, to be more exact. Especially when extra demands are placed on IT, it is helpful to outsource someone who can implement the new initiatives and meet the changing needs of your department.

Following an IT checkup, you’ll feel more at ease – just like after a regular checkup with your doctor.

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