Ovubs Khalid

Security issues in cloud computing The breakthroughs in cloud computing is arguably one the highest benefits of the 21st century. Almost every firm or business has a chunk of their information embedded in cloud space. Cloud computing is more cost effective and increases team cooperation when compared to other traditional conventional servers. Sure, other articles will tell you yes, you can't run a business in the 21st century without 'moving to the cloud' or how well protected and secure some of this services are. They will tell you how cloud computing can help you both as a standalone and as a business. But what they won't tell you, is that, nothing that runs on the Internet can be regarded as full proof. There are always a few glitches. You need to know the in's and out's of the entire thing before heading off to do something you might have just heard of for the first time or you have very little knowledge about. In this article we are going to share with you some of the tips and tricks in cloud computing and also possible solutions you can implement to avoid having security problems in the long run. Choosing the wrong cloud computing provider This is the number one cause of many problems businesses might encounter. There are a lot of cloud computing businesses out there and choosing the right one out of the blue, without some research, is likely never to happen. At least more than 50% of your cloud space security depends on the provider you are using. Some worthy mentions are Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. But after checking and you can't afford their services, Google Clouds or Approval Donkey also provide secure cloud services with great pricing. Approval Donkey is effective for small and growing businesses. The prices are also as effective with monthly prices as low as $13. Always remember, you can't overlook quality over cheap prices. So our advice for you is to get the best. Account hijacking and control over access This is the most common widespread threat to cloud security. It is simply unauthorized parties getting access by authorized means, maybe through technical means like passwords thefts and phishing attacks. Human error, which a study has shown causes about 90% of data breaches today, is the major cause of unauthorized access. Employees either have less secure password behaviours or share their's with family and friends. This at times can be a little difficult to prevent. The best thing to do is to strengthen the system with two recommended measures. The Single SignOn(SSO) and Multi Factor Authentication(MFA). Your first step to strengthening your cloud security are both very easy to setup and integrate well with most cloud applications. Data Security On this issue, a starter problem is data breach. External threats are now targeting cloud environments to obtain any useful information on employees, customers and anyone with a connection to the cloud. This sometimes happens because handlers tend to overlook minor problems that attackers see as a way in. Data loss prevention solutions and malware protection are some of the tools that some people who fell vulnerable to this didn't implement. Making routine check-ups on hardware or software used, and frequent maintenance activities can also prevent data loss. Risky SaaS Applications SaaS(Software as a Service) applications are applications where end users are provided with services built on cloud computing. This is one of the formats cloud technology comes in and also the most vulnerable. SaaS security is now the big talk of the cloud computing industry, as attackers have now made it their new line of target on the verdict of it's vulnerability. Don't be worried if you already use it. There a lot of in-depth solutions to help escape the risks. But before that take our tip in number one and make sure your service provider is legit before signing up. Insider threats External threats come very close to insider threats. But the difference is that external threats involve third parties while insider threats come from within the organization. Threats like this are particularly considered the most dangerous, as it is very difficult to detect. Even discovering it might be useless, until you can pin-point the exact location which is even harder. Some signs that this is happening to you are mass downloads, suspicious sharing and strange incloud sharing between employee activities. Try limiting data control and access points to make this detectable at an early stage before it's too late. Conclusion After reading all this, it fills like using cloud services is not worth the cost. Don't be scared, this problems, at most times, can be prevented with the right solutions. Cloud security is safer than the normal traditional solutions you might have used. Not to mention the untold benefits of getting a cloud space today.