Cloud computing has undoubtedly transformed the way organisations manage their business and data, however it has brought its own unique set of security concerns. While some businesses are quick to embrace the convenience and agility of the cloud, others remain hesitant because of fear about data breaches and cybercrime.
So how exactly are cloud vendors dealing with these data privacy concerns?
When it comes to customer data, security is a top concern of cloud vendors. Make sure that you understand your own Data Privacy requirements and discuss these with your cloud vendor from the outset. Chances are that your requirements are similar to those that the cloud vendors can already meet. Companies may, for example, have legal restrictions that prevents corporate and personal data from being stored outside national boundaries. However, most companies are finding that cloud instances can easily be set up within respective countries to store information according to regulation, and that cloud security standards and certification are maturing quickly.
Cloud vendors are also recognising the necessity of having cloud security training available for all employees or contractors who have access to the cloud and the data your company stores within the cloud . It’s also equally important to establish a data breach policy and to know your cloud provider’s incident response plan. Finally, it’s essential you have the ability to audit your provider on a regular basis. An effective cloud vendor security team will be ready to assist you in any or all of these areas.
Today, cloud vendors are designing managed cloud services from the ground up to meet the most advanced data security requirements, giving current and prospective customers the peace of mind that their data is private and secure. They should also deliver across-the-board support for every aspect of cloud security including physical security, network security, data protection, monitoring, and access controls.
Data encryption for data in flight and at rest along with tokenisation of sensitive data items are strategies that can help improve Data Security and help to meet the most stringent of data privacy requirements.
Cloud vendors understand that any successful cloud security solution requires close collaboration between you and your cloud service provider, knowing that it’s critical that your organisation has a programme that covers everything from data governance and compliance to cloud user access.
When it comes to physical protection of the data centre infrastructure, regular monitoring of all physical access to the facility to detect and prevent potential security incidents is also of upmost important to cloud vendors, as well as access to control and alarm systems, administrator logging, two-factor authentication, codes of conduct, confidentiality agreements and background checks.
