When you’re picking a cloud hosting provider, it’s smart to choose one that’s known and reliable. Look for a cloud service provider that has a good reputation for security. Bigger and well-known providers usually have more experience and resources to make their security and access controls better.
Here are a few important things to think about when choosing a provider:
Security Breaches
Has the cloud provider faced any major security breaches? A quick search online can reveal if the provider you’re interested in has experienced any security breaches or frequent Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. Usually, companies respond to these attacks by improving their own security and safeguarding their clients. So, don’t immediately dismiss them if they’ve had breaches. Instead, do some research to learn more about their security measures.
Security Policies
Does the potential provider have clear public policies and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) regarding security and data responsibility? If you can’t find these publicly, make sure to ask for them before you make a commitment.
Moreover, the provider will likely have a few rules and policies, like an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), Terms of Service (TOS), and Privacy Policy. These documents usually have key information that explains how the provider sees data ownership, security, and who’s responsible for the data you put on their platform as a client.
Data Location
Your organization needs to know which data will be on the provider’s platform. Sometimes, you might work with different providers for different things. It’s really important to keep track of which providers follow the rules for specific types of data and which ones don’t.
Certain rules can affect what data you’re allowed to put in the cloud. You should definitely know what kind of information you’re storing in the cloud and if you need to protect and encrypt it according to rules like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and PCI.
Access Settings
Before you or your organization starts putting data on a cloud provider, it’s really important to carefully check all the security and access settings. You should know exactly who needs to access which types of data within your organization.
Extra or important permissions for your cloud setup should be limited. Anyone who’s using your cloud should only have access to do their specific tasks. Make sure to use regular security settings like having more than one way to prove who you are (multi-factor authentication) and controlling access based on people’s roles.
It’s also a good idea to review who can access and share your cloud data and how they’re doing it at least once a year.
Encryption Right
Knowing how a cloud provider handles encryption is really crucial. In today’s world, there’s no good reason to let data travel without protection. It should always be encrypted while it’s moving between you and the provider, using something like SSL. This makes sure no one can grab your data from the networks while it’s going from your end to the cloud.
You should also find out if your data is encrypted when it’s just sitting there (at rest). This means the data is locked up on the storage device in the provider’s data center. Some types of important data need encryption by law, and this also stops someone bad from getting the data if they somehow get to the server where it’s kept.
Deal with Security Problems
In the world of keeping things secure, it’s not a question of “if” something bad happens, but “when.” The most important thing you can do is get ready for this situation.
It doesn’t matter if you or your cloud provider has a problem. You need to know what might go wrong and have a plan to deal with it. Create a plan for when things go wrong, like if there’s a data breach in your system or your provider’s system. Make sure you know what rules you have to follow and follow them if there’s a breach. The hosting provider should also help you when you are dealing with security issues. Before you sign up for their services, ask how they will assist you in these instances.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the right cloud provider for your organization is a critical decision, and security should be at the forefront of your considerations. Opting for a well-known and reputable cloud service provider with a proven track record in security is a wise move, as they typically possess the experience and needed resources. Keep in mind that your chosen cloud provider should also be a partner in helping you navigate security challenges, so be sure to inquire about their support and assistance in handling security issues before committing to their services.