However, accessing everything through the internet means there are far more chances for unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security hazards. That’s why better security is required as well.
Today, we are going to look at 10 methods of improving security in cloud computing.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Implement Strong Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Access management is the art of providing limited access to different roles. No one person can access the entire system at an elevated level. Instead, people get access based on what they need.
This ensures that even if someone gets compromised, the attacker cannot access your entire cloud computing infrastructure. As such, the damage is relatively contained.
Access management based on identity and role is typically shortened to IAM (identity and access management). To implement IAM correctly, you will need to enforce the following things as well.
- Single sign-on (SSO). This is where one password lets the user access multiple systems. This can improve security by reducing the chances of password theft.
- Strong, unique credentials. This prevents brute force attempts at guessing passwords.
- Role-based access.
This way, you can reduce the attack surface area and improve
2. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication is a security method where the user needs to provide multiple verifications. So, when they input the username and password, they have to then provide a one-time pin (OTP) or scan a QR code to get access to their account.
The second method is usually tied to a device that the user has physical access to. The idea is that even if the password gets leaked, as long as access to the user’s mobile phone is not compromised, the 2nd or 3rd verification layer will stop the attacker from gaining access.
So always turn on MFA and ensure that all of your employees do it so as to bolster security.
3. Encrypt Data at Rest and in Transit
Encryption is a necessity in the digital world. There is just too much incentive to steal data and snoop on traffic. With proper encryption, at least the attacker cannot make sense of the data even if they find it.
So, encrypt data both in transit, i.e., when sending or receiving it from the cloud, as well as when it’s stored on either your device or the cloud.
With this approach, you usually use key cryptography. So you have to ensure that the keys are always secure and don’t get misplaced. Otherwise, they can be used to decrypt the data.
4. Regularly Monitor and Audit Activity Logs
Monitoring activity and access logs is mandatory to catch intrusions in your system. Most cloud services allow admins to monitor access logs and check who is using the service.
This is typically shown via IP addresses and browser fingerprinting. Browser fingerprinting and IP addresses together can identify individual devices. Of course, this information is also associated with the accounts of each employee.
However, accounts can be hijacked, in which case the other identifiers can lead you to the true culprit.
Auditing the activity on the cloud, i.e., which account is using which services and accessing what files, can also help you identify suspicious activity. Unusual events such as unauthorized file downloads or unexpected user logins are tell-tale signs of intrusion.
A system that can alert admins upon noticing such signs is necessary for cloud computing security.
5. Use IP Geolocation to Spot Unusual Access Attempts
You can bolster the security of your cloud computing infrastructure by monitoring the IP addresses that are interacting with it. You can use IP geolocation to find out if your cloud computing network is being accessed from a suspicious place.
This only works if you already know the general location of your usual accessors. For example, in a corporate setting, all remote and hybrid employees would have to share this information. So, anybody accessing from a different location shouldn’t be trusted and their access should be revoked.
In case the requests are genuine, additional verification methods like MFA can help you filter them out.
6. Apply the Principle of Least Privilege
The principle of least privilege is a security approach in which all accounts that interact with the cloud computer can only access the parts they need to do their job.
Nothing that is unnecessary is provided to the account. For example, if your cloud service provides both designing tools and reporting tools, then designers should get access to only the designing tools while the marketers should get access to the reporting.
This ensures that when an account gets compromised, the damage is limited to a small sector rather than spreading through the entire cloud.
7. Keep Software and Systems Updated
Outdated software, old protocols, and legacy hardware; these are all great intrusion points because their security is lacking. If you have such systems connected to the cloud, then swap them out as soon as possible.
For software, updating is easy. Make it a priority to apply patches and updates as soon as they are available. This includes not just your application stack, but also the operating systems, libraries, and cloud service configurations.
However, hardware needs to be completely replaced with modern versions. Just look at motherboards. A couple of years ago, they didn’t have TPM chips that allow you to store cryptographic keys securely. Now they do.
So, keep things updated to stay ahead of vulnerabilities.
8. Establish a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan
Always have backup systems in place. Data can be lost due to accidental deletions, infrastructure failure, or ransomware attacks.
That’s why it is necessary to create regular backups and a disaster recovery plan. Such measures ensure that you can resume operations via your cloud platform without significant data loss.
Do make sure that backups are stored securely and that access to them is only available to the highest privilege user (admins).
9. Train Employees on Security Best Practices
No matter how beefy your software and hardware security is, human error can make all of that useless. That’s why it is necessary to train employees in security best practices so that they don’t make a foolish mistake.
Teach them about phishing, show them how it’s done as well as how to avoid it. Make them understand why they can’t click on any link willy-nilly. Teach them to vet their emails and correspondence.
Hold meetings and sessions where such information is reinforced every few months. This way you can minimize any breaches that occur due to human errors.
10. Conduct Pen Tests to Find Vulnerabilities
You can always improve your security. So, hire an auditing service to conduct penetration testing on your cloud infrastructure to discover any security loopholes that you might have missed.
The discovered security vulnerabilities can be patched to make your entire system more robust and harder to compromise.
Conclusion
Security in a multilayered environment like cloud computing is quite complex. You need to employ a strategy that covers all the bases so that the risk of intrusion is minimized.
If you follow the ten steps we have listed, you will be much better off in terms of security.
