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With the broad spectrum of benefits gained from cloud computing, it’s no wonder why so many businesses have begun to use it. However, it’s easy to make mistakes when handling the cloud, and using the cloud for storage can be risky if you don’t take the proper security measures. Protecting your information from breaches or attacks is integral to maintaining the safety and security of your data and systems.
Why Is Safe Cloud Storage So Important?
As cloud computing becomes a more popular and beneficial way to store information, the safety of your data is becoming a bigger concern. Cybercriminals are always on the hunt for sellable information, and crimes like data breaches grow more common every year, affecting over 28 million Canadians as of 2019. In some cases, sensitive and personal information like login credentials are being sold on the dark web for as little as $2.00 a pop.
The Best Security Measures for Your Cloud Storage
Have a Secure Password
You’ve heard it a million times – make sure you have a strong password! Ensuring your password is secure is the easiest way to protect against cybercrime. Likewise, having an unsecured password is the simplest way for your information to be hacked. It might be more efficient to have an easy password, but the easier the password, the easier to hack.
One way to create a stronger password is simply to never re-use the same password more than once – especially your email password, since all your login information can be sent to your email. Numbers and symbols are a good way to improve your password, as well as making it long (generally more than 15 characters).
You can also use secure password manager apps like LastPass to make your login credentials tougher to crack.
Read The Terms and Conditions
It’s not an appealing task for someone as busy as you are, but reading the terms and conditions or user agreement sent out by your chosen cloud service provider can help you understand how your information is stored and what the risks may be.
Don’t Upload Sensitive Information
It’s up to you exactly how much information you want to store on the cloud, but if there’s anything you absolutely need to keep private, avoid storing it on the cloud. In the case that your business becomes a victim of cybercrime, the last thing you want is criminals having access to that extremely sensitive information. By storing that data somewhere else, like on a hard drive, it can stay safe and intact.
Use Multifactor Authentication
Even if your password is strong and secure, you should consider using multi-factor authentication. This may include extra sign-in measures like having a code sent to your phone or receiving an email with an access link. Although it’s more time-consuming, it’s a simple and effective way to defend against any security threats. If you want to use this policy across your organization, implement a procedure and make sure your staff members are properly trained so they understand how and why to use multi-factor authentication.
Encrypt Your Information
Encryption is one of the safest ways to protect your data. Encryption makes the information inaccessible for anyone except those who have access to it. This can be done by establishing a VPN (virtual private network). Third-party encryption services are also available.
Consistently Back Up Your Data
Backing up your data is one of the best security measures to take when handling cloud storage. If your data is lost or corrupted, you need to have some form of backup in place so you don’t completely lose access to that data. This is a crucial part of using the cloud; even in the worst of cases, you’ll still have your necessary information.
Find the Safest Cloud Provider For Your Business
Finding the ideal cloud storage provider can be challenging, and it’s even harder to find one you know you can trust. Find out more about the cloud services Alt-Tech offers or contact us today for support.
