Cloud services have increased dramatically in the last few years. According to a survey by Cisco, 94% of businesses have completed the transition to the cloud. If your business is contemplating joining them, there are several key issues you must first consider. Migrating to the cloud can incur data loss through a security breach. Ensuring your data is safeguarded against cybercrime is a top priority.
1. Shared Responsibility and Encryption
Before beginning your migration to the cloud, it’s imperative you reassess security. According to a Thales Cloud Security Study conducted in 2021, 83% of companies transfer unencrypted data to the cloud. 24% of these businesses state they rely entirely on the cloud, even for the most sensitive data.
Many businesses wrongly assume that the cloud service provider has sole responsibility for security. Using public cloud services usually means you are equally responsible. Your business should take action to migrate securely encrypted data.
Only 35% of US businesses are adopting their own encryption techniques when migrating to the cloud. Following the latest app trends can help to customize your migration strategy through methods such as refactoring.
2. Control over Access
Planning to migrate data to the cloud usually involves a degree of reorganization in your IT department. You need to update relevant security measures to ensure compliance with regulations. Primarily, cloud services are designed for flexibility and ease of use.
Your provider will usually offer a range of online management tools to increase security factors such as accessibility. However, it’s your responsibility to ensure only authorized personnel have access to cloud data transfer. A secure policy must be enforced with clear identification regarding who has access to cloud-based data storage.
Using security strategies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be beneficial. AI in B2B marketing is already increasing. According to Statista, 83% of businesses are contemplating using AI in applications such as security and data storage.
3. Identification and Authentication Measures
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Personnel who are responsible for migrating data to the cloud must adhere to a stringent policy of identification. Frequently changed, robust passwords are an essential requirement. A recent report by Security.org discovered that only one in five use a password manager tool. Yet one-third of cloud users suffered a security breach.
Adopting a password manager can increase your level of security by a reported 90%. An additional measure includes two-step authentication. However, according to Statista, only 29% of businesses regard this method as an essential part of migrating data.
A major complaint is an inconvenience, yet when integrated with mobile apps it can be an effective method of guarding against unauthorized access. Technological systems such as Single Sign-On (SSO) combines two-step authentication where the user only needs to log in once each day for continued access.
4. Using Correct Bandwidth is Essential
When transferring to cloud services, your internet bandwidth may need to be checked for compatibility. The efficiency of data migration can be severely downgraded if your bandwidth performance is inadequate. It can result in latency, leaving your transfer of data vulnerable to a security breach.
A latency of 20 milliseconds is considered an optimal result where data migration is concerned. However, it’s not uncommon to find businesses operating at 100 milliseconds or above. This level may result in pronounced latency which could place your data migration to the cloud at risk.
Data released by Symantec reveals an average of 4,800 security breaches occur each month. According to Cisco, broadband speed will increase three-fold as the decade progresses, particularly for mobile devices. Upgrading should be a major consideration before you migrate to the cloud.
5. Management of Lifecycle
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Successfully migrating to the cloud can be effective and reliable. However, your business could be more secure if your infrastructure is seamlessly coordinated. Adopting a secure lifecycle management policy for cloud data migration is vital. As a business, you are responsible for safeguarding and storing data securely.
Research by IBM indicated it can take 228 days for IT technicians to even realize that a data security breach has occurred. It then takes an average of 80 days for them to bring it under control. Research by Datto discovered that 28% of businesses regularly suffer data loss through malicious cyber-attacks such as ransomware.
Ensuring data is safe and secure at all stages of its existence is more effective with a stringent lifecycle management policy in place. It’s the most effective method when using cloud migration from data creation through storage, analysis and final elimination.
Final Thoughts
Responsible migration to cloud services can save your business money. It reduces the need for sophisticated hardware and software applications. You need to be aware of your responsibilities regarding cloud storage and not simply assume features are already in place. Care must be taken to choose a suitable service. Implementing security features such as two-step authentication can help protect your business against unauthorized access. Ensure bandwidth speeds are compatible with your chosen service and install a lifecycle management strategy.
