Written by Beth Hildreth on October 27, 2015
Considering that data breaches are now are regular staple in the news, security has become first and foremost for businesses that rely on the cloud or are considering cloud migration. The renewed need for data protection has presented a unique variety or IT security challenges, many of which require managed service providers (MSPs) to create a comprehensive plan of attack.
MSPs play an integral role in protecting cloud data, so it’s no surprise that clients are rightfully concerned about their ability to map out an effective cloud security strategy. Not having a strategy could very well mean the difference between life and death for a typical business.
Identifying Potential Cloud Security Problem Areas
For MSPs, the first step towards creating an effective cloud security strategy involves taking a long, hard look at a client’s data. This involves asking the following set of questions:
Which data is considered sensitive?
How sensitive is the data in question?
Who owns this data and who’s allowed to have access?
Where does this data reside?
What are the risks and consequences involved if this data is breached or stolen?
How would the MSP know if the data had been breached in any way?
What data poses the most unnecessary risk?
Who will be ultimately held accountable for this data?
Once these questions are answered, MSPs can focus on addressing access controls for administrators and users prior to cloud migration.
Creating a Secure BYOD Experience
A growing number of companies are letting their employees supply their own devices for work. While Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) was once restrictive and cumbersome due to valid security concerns, it eventually proved to be a sensible strategy for ensuring high productivity and worker satisfaction.
Nevertheless, it remains essential for MSPs to have a proper strategy in place for managing sensitive data within the scope of BYOD.
Deploying Custom Encryption
It’s not enough for data to be safe on a secure server. Wherever data goes, it needs to be protected. Custom encryption offers the best possible solution for protecting data, whether it’s in transit or at rest. In the event of a breach, clients can rest knowing that their data is protected no matter where it lands.
Always Consider the Worst Case Scenario
It’s important to assume that whatever can happen in terms of cloud security will happen. Even the most comprehensive of cloud security plans can go awry, so it pays to always maintain a reasonable level of alertness when it comes to corporate data.
Security through obscurity is no longer a valid tactic in today’s highly interconnected world. This means making sure all of the bases are covered in terms of IT security policy.
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