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How can enterprises protect their data in cloud environments?
24/04/2024
How can enterprises protect their data in cloud environments?
Data in cloud environments is not only one of the most popular ways to ensure high-level security for businesses but also one of the most efficient and fastest ways to ensure query retrievals and all-around access to valuable information. Moreover, it works just as well for micro and small enterprises as it is for large-scale, multinational conglomerates.
This article details how enterprises can leverage this feature of utilizing data in cloud systems to ensure reliable, robust, and flexible backend as well as front-end operations for any business looking to undergo a digital transformation of any kind.
Why Use Data in Cloud Systems?
Data is one of the most important resources in today’s fast-paced and rapidly evolving world. This is true for both the enterprise that claims to ensure data protection and reliability measures and for the end-user, clients, or consumers that are getting more and more aware of the significance of the same. Data in cloud systems or applications allow easy accessibility, from anywhere and at any time.
Besides, there is the added benefit of acquiring insights from highly optimizing data flows and backend data or information management systems when using the power of data in the cloud to allow a better user experience. It not only boosts the customer or client satisfaction scores for a business but also allows major large-scale corporate organizations that have a global presence to provide for all the basic and advanced necessities of the clients with the touch of a button or maybe in a few simple steps. It also allows for a competitive advantage for businesses in a market that is already over-saturated yet growing leaps and bounds almost every second of the day.
So while traditional businesses ferry around with new-age on-premise or in-office solutions to mitigate data retrieval and data protection issues, modern businesses are taking the more effective way out of leveraging data in the cloud. This is mostly due to the five key pillars of what data in cloud systems entail. And, this primarily includes easy scaling, reduced cost, higher capacity to store data, and the flexibility to evolve according to the priorities of the enterprise or business.
Difference Between Traditional In-Office Data Protection and Data in Cloud Solutions
Now that we’ve understood what data in cloud systems entail, let’s delve into their innate differences.
The Traditional: In-Office Data Protection
So, while on-premise or in-office data protection solutions have been the most trusted method to protect consumer information, that is mostly due to the following key factors:
- All accrued data is managed by an in-office team of data protection experts.
- Higher scaling costs due to physical infrastructure and logistical costs.
- The slower speed of scaling and data retrieval also allows different layers of security checks limiting errors and unforeseen leaks
- Only a high upfront investment for the infrastructural factor benefits the enterprise in the long run.
- Wider security architecture and the requirement of physical securitization mechanisms that are foolproof and off-the-books for the larger web audience.
The New Age: Data in Cloud Systems
Although there are a few positives of an on-premise data protection mechanism, data in the cloud is much more secure. This is because innovation and modern cybersecurity systems are now more compliant with the rise of new-age technologies and the evolution of digital computing methods in a myriad of industries. So here’s why enterprises might consider a paradigm shift into evolutionary cloud solutions:
- Data in the cloud is usually managed by a third party or an offshore organization that specializes in protecting data in the cloud or cloud-based mechanisms.
- There is a relatively low upfront cost when it comes to managing and protecting data in cloud systems.
- There is a high possibility of scaling data of all forms when utilizing the decentralized nature of how data in cloud systems operate.
- There is no necessity of maintaining an in-office team of IT experts or web service managers when ensuring the protection of enterprise or customer data in cloud mechanisms.
- The best practices continue to shift towards allowing more robust, flexible, and efficient management and protection of data in cloud systems.
- Data in cloud systems also offer high-speed access to data in terms of data retrieval as well as data management.
How Enterprises Allow Top-Level Data Protection With The Cloud
Enterprises that recognize the utility of leveraging cloud-based tools often fail to understand the tiny knicks and knacks that come along with it. Thus, firstly let’s understand the nature of available data in cloud systems:
- Data in Use: This is the information that is being searched for or in the process of retrieval.
- Data in Transit: This is when a particular cluster of data is transferred from one end-network to the other.
- Data in Storage: This refers to the data or information that is stored in the cloud system for perusal when necessary.
Challenges in Data Protection Using Cloud Architecture
Now, to further understand how enterprises protect this data against any form of breach, let’s understand the challenges faced by such organizations.
- Data Visibility: Creating a working system of checks and balances of who can access certain data points and from where. This can also be understood as data accessibility.
- Data Control: Data control is when parts of a data cluster need to be protected by the enterprise against public access or use. An example of this is the financial information uploaded to a neo-bank or banking application.
- Data Inconsistency: While data is available almost at all access points, not every part of a particular data cluster may be available. Hence, enterprises require to complete such inconsistencies to ensure there is no issue at the backend when a search query is raised.
- Data Compliance: Compliance is the regulations and industry standards in practice today. These sets of rules are directed towards enforcing a strict regime of cyber security measures that prevent any form of hacks or ransomware attacks.
Best Practices for Cloud Systems for an Enterprise
So while data in cloud storage might have specific challenges there are several best practices any enterprise can adopt to ensure top-notch protection and security for the user’s data across data points. A few of these have been discussed in the paragraphs below:
- Perform Dedicated Analytical Research: Analyse the in-built security policies and tools utilized by the cloud mechanism being used by the organization. This includes scrutinizing their past performances, testimonials, domain expertise, and track record of successful implementation.
- Evaluate the Overall Enterprise Budget: Data in the cloud is often considered to be a helpful way to reduce the overall cost for any enterprise in almost all domains. While more users enter the digital world, more and more data is becoming readily available. This makes it integral for any enterprise to evaluate its extended budget for incorporating any form of cloud service or infrastructure within the operating wing of the organization at large.
- Prioritize Transparency: Ensure adequate transparency at every step of development when keeping an inventory of the data being collected through various processes by the cloud system provider. This includes maintaining stringent communication even during the developmental phases of the end tool.
- Optimize Data Performance: Enhance the procedure for collection, management, analysis, tracking, and reporting of data to optimize the overall performance when this stored data is in use. This includes ensuring that the data available to the enterprise can be scaled globally and in a fast-paced manner when required.
- Recommend Two-Way Collaboration: Recognise the milestones carefully that are shared between the offshore cloud service provider and the organizational needs. It is integral to ensure a zero-trust framework for this step.
- Develop Robust Security Models: Create dedicated encryption models that prevent the third-party service provider from accessing company information including data from clients and customers. Setting up a strong credential policy also helps in this regard.
- Compartmentalize Data Requirements: While all data may be stored within the backend systems of an enterprise, not all of it is required to be accessed or used at all times. It is highly recommended to encapsulate such data points so that the data retrieval process is fast, efficient, and easily understandable by the end user who may not be well equipped to handle technological apparatus.
In Conclusion
A working report from the highly acclaimed Forbes magazine suggested that around 66% of IT experts believed that security is one of the topmost priority arenas when marking a paradigm shift to cloud-based computing solutions. Furthermore, according to IBM’s Cost o Data Breach Report published in 2021, the average cost of a data breach globally accounts for over $4.25 million for that year alone. This marked almost a 10% hike from the year before. To prevent such losses and breaches from happening again any new-age tech-backed organization must transform into a cloud-based infrastructure to allow greater protection of information and data. Collaborating with a high-end IT firm such as Focaloid Technologies is one of the most viable ways out.
Published:24/04/2024
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