To Improve Data Protection Working Party is becoming vital as more and more businesses move their operations over to the cloud. Many are struggling to find a balance between cost-effectiveness and data protection, leaving many businesses looking for a quick fix solution which does not have longevity.
So how do you protect your precious data and ensure that it is safe and secure when using cloud applications?
Here is our guide on how to make sure that your data is safe in the cloud: To Improve Data Protection Working Party
1: Understand your business requirements
At First Data we always recommend that companies carry out an IT audit before they sign up with any cloud provider. This will allow you to identify if you have any potential issues with migration. Or if there are any applications which cannot be in the cloud or require additional security controls.
We also recommend that businesses understand their current IT infrastructure. And what is a must for them to migrate their systems successfully into the cloud. Some companies may require additional firewalls or intrusion detection systems which could add an additional cost burden on a company. So, it’s important that they understand before signing a contract.
2: Understand the role of “the cloud” in your business strategy
The term “cloud” has become somewhat generic but it can actually refer to many different services. Cloud services can include SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) or even EaaS (Everything as a Service).
So it’s important to understand exactly what you are using, who owns it and how much control you have over the service once you start using it. As long as you understand all these factors then you should have no issues.
3: Understand the security issues that you may face in the cloud
Cloud applications are essentially hosted on a third-party server. So, there are a number of controls that need to be in place to protect data. Firstly you need to make sure that your cloud service provider has put in place secure firewalls and intrusion detection systems which will prevent unauthorised access.
You also need to ensure that there is an adequate amount of redundancy. This will ensure that if any server goes down for whatever reason then the data is still safe and secure.
4: Protect your sensitive data from the start
A big concern for many businesses is how they can protect their sensitive data. Many companies do not want their competitors getting hold of their customer base list or trade secrets. So they will encrypt all their customer data before they send it to the cloud provider. However, if you have a lot of sensitive data then this can prove to be very costly and time-consuming.
The best way around this is to use “data masking” technology where you can “mask” (or substitute) sensitive data. Further, with non-sensitive information before sending it over to your cloud provider.
5: Set up backup procedures immediately
One of the biggest concerns for most businesses is whether or not their data will be safe. Cloud service providers offer many different options for backing up your data but it’s important that you do not rely on them alone as they may not always be able to retrieve your data should there be an incident at their end.
6: Maintain regular back-ups
Off-site backup is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your data is secure. And you can restore it quickly in case of any issues. At First Data we recommend that businesses store their backup copy off-site so that if anything happens to their data, then they can use the local backup for immediate recovery.
If you require additional security with your data backups, you should consider using an encryption tool that will allow you to secure your backup files and make them useless to anyone who may try and access them in the wrong way.
7: Understand what your cloud provider
Means by “redundancy” As cloud applications are essentially hosted on a third-party server, there are a number of controls that need to be put in place to protect data from being hacked or stolen. Firstly you need to make sure that your cloud service provider has put in place secure firewalls and intrusion detection systems which will prevent unauthorised access.