What Is Cloud Security?
Cloud Security is an umbrella term for all of the policies, practices and technologies that ensure your data is secure. It includes everything from backups, firewalls and anti-virus software to encryption of data at rest, in transit and when it is being downloaded. It also addresses governance, compliance and risk triage.
Most people think outside hackers are the biggest threat to cloud security, but malicious employees present just as much of a risk. Malicious insiders can use their personal devices to access company files and then download corrupted versions of those files. They can then use those files to infect a company network or the files of customers. To prevent this, companies can put in place a firewall or security system that uses two-factor authentication and other methods to verify an employee’s identity before granting them access to the cloud.
A well-designed cloud security strategy can protect data from hackers, malware, viruses and other threats that might be used to steal or contaminate your information. It can also keep your information safe from hardware failures and other disasters, such as natural disasters or power outages. Many of the largest cloud providers practice redundancy, which means they copy your data several times and store it in different areas, so if one server fails you can still get to your files. They also hire outside security firms to test their servers and software regularly, which makes it harder for cybercriminals to slip through the cracks.