Data is one of the valuable assets that business owners and their employees must protect from unauthorized access. However, cloud data storage solutions change the dynamics of data protection since sensitive data is transmitted across international borders.
Despite the ever-increasing risk of data breaches, there are proven measures business owners can use to protect data in the cloud. Here are a few proactive measures businesses use to enhance data security.
Implement Strong Passwords
Business owners and their employees usually use passwords that are easy to remember and often use those passwords across different platforms, including cloud data storage solutions. However, simple passwords are prone to theft and hacking.
Therefore, it is always advisable to use strong passwords with digits, letters, and special characters. Besides, employees should also use unique passwords for each platform and regularly update the passwords to enhance security.
Reduce Sensitive Data Stored in the Cloud
The leading cloud storage solutions rarely have significant flaws that could lead to data breaches. Therefore, business owners should visit TEC to compare storage options and identify the most secure.
However, despite the low risk of data breaches, business owners should reserve sensitive data or use different storage platforms. Data that could bring business to its knees deserve an extra security layer. Therefore, take time to determine the data to store online, however small the data security risk may be.
Implement Multiple Access Controls
Business owners can reduce the risk of exposing business data to criminals using appropriate access control solutions.
For example, they can limit access to specific data only to the few employees who need it. Therefore, only a few trustworthy employees should access cloud-based data to minimize the risk. Implementing rigorous restrictions limits access and discourages employees who may collude with cybercriminals from exposing company data.
Protect Mobile Devices
If remote staff use tablets, smartphones, and PCs to access company data stored in the cloud, losing those devices could compromise data security. Unfortunately, personal devices are not as secure as corporate devices, making them an easy target for cybercriminals.
However, business owners can use robust anti-malware to protect all devices used to access cloud-based company data. A virtual private network (VPN) can also help enhance privacy since a secure connection reduces the chances of data breaches.
Business Data Encryption
Data encryption involves changing sensitive data into codes that cannot be interpreted without the appropriate decoding key.
Even if a third-party access encrypted data, they cannot understand or use it. So business owners should only send encrypted data to the cloud since criminals cannot use it because it is unreadable.
Create Secure Local Backups
Data security involves protecting data from loss and unauthorized access. So how can business owners prevent the loss of company data?
They can use secure local backups of the data stored on the cloud. Even if someone accesses the cloud storage and damages or deletes company data, the employees can use the local backup storage and continue serving customers without downtime.
Train Employees to Protect Data
Human error can compromise the security of cloud-based data. Although it is impossible to eliminate the risk, training employees helps minimize human error. For example, they should know how to identify phishing, fraud, and hacking attempts and promptly respond to the situation. Also, regular training helps inform employees about the latest data security challenges and solutions.
Cloud data storage enhances the accessibility of company data from different locations. However, it is associated with a significant risk of data breaches. Fortunately, business owners can consider these best practices to minimize the risk of losing or exposing sensitive data to unauthorized persons.
