No one can deny that our world is becoming increasingly digitized. Everything we do involves the Internet in some way and the advent of cloud computing has been instrumental to the connectivity we enjoy today. The cloud makes it possible to access all types of files in one place and makes communication and collaboration dramatically easier. Even the U.S. government – an entity slow to adopt new technology and deeply concerned about data security – has begun widespread adoption of the cloud, initiating a “cloud-first” policy for all agencies.
However, the increased use of the Internet and the growing amount of information being stored online have also been beneficial for hackers looking for sensitive data to steal. Because of this, some organizations believe enterprise use of the cloud is dangerous, as it nearly stores all of the information cybercriminals might be interested in in one concentrated area.
While the data hosted in cloud environments is often valuable to hackers, that doesn’t mean it’s easy for them to access. As tech writer Quentin Hardy noted, cloud platforms are likely to be more secure than other forms of enterprise data storage because of the organizations managing the cloud environments.
“…[T]he concentration of core computing systems into clouds means that computers are likely to be better managed, security flaws more frequently and thoroughly patched, and devices inspected in a more uniform way,” Hardy wrote. “All of those things are improvements over the current state of affairs.”
Additionally, the companies behind some of the largest cloud platforms – Google, Microsoft, Amazon – have some of the best security engineers in the world, meaning most companies’ information will be more secure in one of those cloud environments than in an in-house solution.
What to consider when deploying cloud security
When securing an enterprise cloud environment, it’s important to consider what processes the cloud is being used for. If data storage is being employed, encryption is key. Certain aspects of the cloud make it an ideal platform for data security, such as its tiered storage approach. Data can be encrypted at every level of the system and each to a different extent so the most important information has the highest level of protection, but little-used data is still secure.
For organizations using the cloud to access software-as-a-service or infrastructure-as-a-service offerings, a layered security solution is the most reliable option to defend against malicious actors. Faronics’ Deep Freeze Cloud provides organizations with comprehensive protection of enterprise endpoints that can be accessed remotely through the cloud. The system offers antivirus protection, controlled user lockdown and total workstation recovery in case of network issues or malware infection.