Cloudy With a Chance of Cyberattacks

Before you leave your house, it is always a good idea to check the weather. Even if you live in a place with a temperate climate, most people will agree that being prepared to go outside is the first step they take to ensure comfort and security. After all, you wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared if a storm comes rolling in.

The digital landscape, especially the cloud, can function a lot like the weather, changing from calm to stormy in an instant. Because of this, it is crucial to protect your data before entering the cloud. Entering the cloud without ensuring proper protection can leave you vulnerable to potentially scary situations. In this article, we will cover some of the ways that you can protect yourself from the storm of a cyberattack.

The Forecast: Potential Cyber Threats

1. Data Breaches

Cloud storage is often a prime target for cybercriminals and can be exploited through weak security information. Data breaches can strike like lighting, exposing sensitive data to unauthorized users. Some key systems to help protect against data breaches are:

• Encryption: Data encryption is your first line of defense when it comes to protecting the cloud. It creates a protective shield that keeps unauthorized users out and makes your data unreadable to unauthorized parties.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): A handy security process that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource. A password or PIN is your first factor of authentication, whereas the second factor can be a code sent to your personal device, or biometric verification.
• Regular Patching: Ensure to keep your software up to date. Software updates add more security improvements and features, which are always necessary as cybercriminals learn to exploit old systems.

2. Misconfigurations

Misconfigurations in cloud services can leave your data exposed. Even minor errors in setup can lead to significant security gaps. To prevent misconfigurations:

• Conduct Regular Audits: Doing this regularly on your cloud configurations can help detect weak points before you experience a breach.
• Proper Configuration Management: Configuration Management acts as the backbone of a reliable IT infrastructure. By ensuring that all components of your system function correctly and consistently, you can mitigate the chance of security vulnerabilities.

3. Insider Threats:

Insider threats come from within your organization and can be just as dangerous as external attacks. Mitigation strategies include:

• Access Control: Monitor and control who has access to your systems and data.
• User Activity Monitoring: Keep an eye on user activities to detect any suspicious behavior.

Additional Protective Features

There are even more great tools that you can use to secure your cloud systems and protect you from both internal and external security threats. Here are some additional gear that your cloud system needs to be fully secure:

• Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM ensures that the right individuals have access to the right resources at the right times, by ensuring that only authorized users within your organization have access to certain information and data.
• Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: These systems work hand in hand, with Firewalls blocking unauthorized external access, and Intrusion Detection Systems monitoring the network for suspicious activities and threats.
• Backups and Disaster Recovery: Backups involve creating copies of data and storing them in secure locations to ensure information is not lost or deleted during a cyberattack. Disaster recovery focuses on restoring normal operations after a significant disruption.

The Calm After the Storm

The digital landscape, like the weather, is unpredictable. Even on clear days, it is vital to monitor your cloud systems closely.  Being prepared allows you to respond to anomalies promptly, rather than being caught in a storm without a plan.

So don’t wait for the storm to hit- be proactive in securing your cloud and stay ready for any challenges that come your way.