2021 was the year of the hacker. It only takes a quick Google search to find some of the terrible cyber-attacks that happened in 2021. With so many businesses online for the first time ever as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, many businesses found themselves unprepared for cybersecurity attacks.
This is why many businesses have chosen to get themselves managed data security programs. However, technology is constantly advancing, and hackers are great at using the latest technology for evil.
Cloud computing is one of the most important new forms of technology — but it presents some unique challenges. Read on as we walk you through some of those challenges and provide you with data security tips.
1. Many Avenues of Attack
All of the problems with cloud security break down to the simple fact that cloud security makes a company a bigger target for cybercrime. In-person businesses that are larger will have a similar problem since they have many doors/windows that someone can gain entrance from.
Cloud computing, by definition, is the uploading of data online so that it's accessible from anywhere. Everything from the most complicated cloud systems to something as simple as Google Docs is considered cloud computing.
The benefit of convenience is offset by the problem of security.
It's the nature of cloud computing that if someone can simply learn the right password, they can access many documents. If a criminal gains one password, they can wreak havoc. No longer will they have to go around to everyone's office digging through files, they'll essentially be able to import everyone's office to their computer.
2. Weakest Link
This interconnected world means that your network security is only as strong as your weakest link. If any of your employees aren't very internet savvy, they could cost you.
You can get around a lot of this by making use of a cloud data protection platform. A good managed IT company will use a platform like this to help you dole out permissions carefully.
You'll essentially be able to get very specific about which of your employees are able to access which information. By limiting the amount of information lower-level employees have, and keeping the most secure information top-secret, you're far more likely to keep yourself safe from a big exposure.
However, hackers are smart. They might break into one of your more vulnerable employees' accounts, and lie in wait. They can collect information over a long period of time, while this non-internet-savvy person is none the wiser.
3. Inside Jobs
It's never pleasant to think about the prospect of one of your employees selling out. However, in some of the biggest cybersecurity attacks of 2021, this is exactly what happened. Cloud computing makes it easy for a malicious employee to share information with a criminal and get away scot-free.
A managed IT company can help you out with this problem by constantly running diagnostics. They'll effectively act as your cloud computing janitors, finding anything dirty going on and cleaning it up.
4. Malware
Malware is a catch-all term for any malicious software. It's one of the earliest cybersecurity threats you can find on the internet. No matter which trends rise and fall, malware always finds a way to adapt and keep causing problems.
In the early days of the internet, computer viruses were the most widespread and damaging malware out there. Programs would install themselves on people's computers — usually through links in emails — and effectively send themselves out to a person's contacts, spreading like a real-world virus.
However, in the 2020s, ransomware is the most dangerous form of malware out there. This is software that cryptographically locks people out of their data. If one wants to see their information again, they're going to have to pay the cybercriminal a ransom, after which the hacker will send them the key.
Ransomware attacks are more common than ever due to the above items on this list. Often, various cybercrime gangs will work together with inside agents in a company to make their ransomware attacks as damaging as possible.
5. Lack of Organization
With so many options available, it's very easy for a cloud platform to get bloated and sprawling. While an in-person business will have a physical limit to storage, the online world can often seem infinite.
When cloud security programs start to sprawl, however, chaos can ensue. Things become tougher to organize. It can become easier to abandon certain parts of your cloud program than to organize them.
However, this information is still out there in the cloud. A cybercriminal can get into this information, and the size of the operation will mean that no one will be able to tell. Because of this, it's important to get yourself a data security posture management system.
6. Regulations
One of the biggest problems with cloud security doesn't come from criminals but from the law itself. Cloud regulations can get hyper-specific, and vary between states.
If you're not familiar with these rules — and data security at large — it can be easy to mess up and cross these boundaries without even realizing it. This can cause you to have to pay fines and give you a bad reputation, which can be just as bad as a cybersecurity attack.
Make Use of Managed Data Security
As you can see, the world of managed data security in cloud computing is more difficult than it seems. If you're not familiar with the world of cloud computing, it's easy to fall victim to the above problems.
However, if you hire yourself a great managed IT company, you can organize your data correctly and keep yourself safe from cybercrime.