Cloud Computing: Security Challenges & Their Solutions

By Tamjid Aijazi

Cloud computing’s security is an area of concern for researchers and professionals in today’s increasingly remote world. Many surveys in the research field point out that some of these security problems present as data breaches while others deal with access control. Whatever the issue, it concerns decision makers greatly when making a choice of software or solution.

C-suite executives and VPs should take note that these security challenges are well documented. At the same time, each presents its own solution to vulnerabilities found in using cloud computing to meet business challenges and customer demands. In short, if you take the right precautions, cloud computing can be both safer and more satisfying for your business needs.

Let this post be an introduction to some of the security challenges you can mind while relying on cloud computing for your business. We offer at least four common concerns and their solutions.

1. Data Breaches

Some businesses feel they are immune to a data breach because of their size—either because they are too small to be attacked, or because they are too large to fail to protect themselves. Nevertheless, Software as a Service (SaaS) and other breaches grow year over year regardless of company size, industry, or operating system.

To protect against a breach, you can take a number of network security approaches. Educating employees on data security best practices is a good idea, but so is deciding to only keep information absolutely necessary for your business. You can also implement time out functions and stick to a strict security update procedure. These are common practices on Platforms as a Service (PaaS) like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

2. Access Control

When an attacker has legitimate system access, there is little that even the most advanced cloud system can do to protect itself from theft and exploitation. Unauthorized access is a significant issue, and it is common regardless (again) of industry or size.

To secure and manage access, organizations should use multi-factor authentication, strong passwords, and automated rotations of certificates and keys. If you implement these best practices, you will enjoy fewer instances of unauthorized access and be better able to manage the threat of remote data theft from data centers.

3. Data Loss

Data loss is often an issue that comes from in-house rather than from an attacker. You understand that accidents occur, and that human error is a factor in any advanced system. Nevertheless, data can be permanently lost if not properly secured.

To prevent data loss and cloud storage, cloud computing customers should review data loss provisions and understand who is responsible for data loss when it occurs. Many providers include data backups as part of their agreement. You may even decide to store data in-house as well as remotely for a hybrid cloud if your data is highly critical.

4. Denial of Service

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack renders your computing power, system, or network unable to function for its users. Cyber criminals are able to even pay other attackers to control and target a botnet and other deployment models which do the job of denying service. (You can partially blame the rise of cryptocurrency for the prevalence of these attacks rather than cloud infrastructure).

The key to securing your system and cloud service from DoS attacks is to first build redundancy in your infrastructure. You can then configure your network specifically against a DoS attack through hardware and software. Finally, protect your DNS servers so that no one can bring your web servers offline.

Final Thoughts

Security is one of the top concerns of commercial and personal users of cloud computing services. Our remote era is consistently reminded of data breaches and cyber attacks through the news and first-hand. And, while you may not be able to implement protections yourself, you can find the right talent to install them for you.

While big firms are often the most secure, they are also the most expensive. On the other hand, many businesses cannot tolerate the risk that small firms bring through less experience. This is where Makeen brings a unique benefit to those seeking cost efficiency as well as security. Makeen works with your business as a natural extension of your resources, budget, and skills to empower you to enjoy competence as well as security while you develop secure solutions.

This article originally appeared on Makeen Technologies.

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