Cloud cybersecurity is important for any business that relies on cloud computing. Cloud computing offers many benefits, such as scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, but it also comes with some risks, such as data breaches, cyberattacks, and compliance issues.

Therefore, following some best practices to maintain strong cloud cybersecurity and protect your data and systems from unauthorized access or damage is important. In this article, we will explore ten tips to help you achieve just that:

Choose a reputable cloud service provider
Before you sign up for a cloud service, do some research on their reputation, track record, certifications, and customer reviews and be certain they comply with the relevant standards and regulations for your industry and region.

Encrypt your data
Encryption helps prevent unauthorized access or modification of your data in transit or at rest. You can use encryption tools provided by your cloud service provider or use your own encryption software. Make sure you store your encryption keys securely!

Use strong passwords and multifactor authentication
Long complex, and unique passwords are absolutely recommended. You should also enable multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires an additional verification step, such as a code sent to your phone or email, to log in to your account. MFA adds an extra layer of security and reduces the risk of password compromise.

Implement backup and recovery plans
Backup and recovery are essential for ensuring business continuity and minimizing data loss in case of a disaster or cyberattack. You should regularly backup your data to a separate location or service, preferably in a different geographic region. A recovery plan is also a must!

Educate your employees and users
Human error is one of the most common causes of cloud cybersecurity breaches. Therefore, you should educate your employees and users on the best practices and policies for using cloud services safely and responsibly through training and awareness programs.

Monitor and audit your cloud activities
Monitoring and auditing are important for detecting and preventing any suspicious or malicious activities on your cloud environment. You should use tools and services that provide you with visibility and control over your cloud activities, such as who is accessing what data and when, what changes are being made, what errors or incidents are occurring, etc. You should also review and analyze your logs and reports regularly to identify any anomalies or patterns that may indicate a breach or attack.

Update and patch your software and systems
Updating and patching are essential for keeping your software and systems secure and up to date with the latest features and fixes. Unpatched software and systems may contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Therefore, you should always install the latest updates and patches for your operating systems, applications, browsers, plugins, etc., as soon as they are available.

Configure your security settings properly
Security settings are the parameters that determine how your cloud service operates and interacts with other services or users. Security settings can affect various aspects of your cloud cybersecurity, such as access control, encryption, firewall, network isolation, etc. Therefore, you should configure your security settings properly according to your needs and preferences. You should also periodically review and adjust your security settings to ensure they are still relevant and effective.

Use a VPN
A VPN (virtual private network) or a secure connection creates a private and encrypted tunnel between your device and the cloud service. This secures your data from being intercepted or tampered with by third parties You should use a VPN or a secure connection whenever you access your cloud service from a public or untrusted network, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot or a hotel network.

Follow the principle of least privilege
The principle of least privilege helps reduce the exposure and impact of potential breaches or attacks by limiting the scope of access or damage that can be done by unauthorized or malicious actors. You should follow the principle of least privilege when assigning roles and permissions to your users or systems in your cloud environment.

Of course, the list can go on to be very long, as the cloud represents very specific challenges to be dealt with. Still, it is a very increasing business, knowing that the number of organizations interested in the cloud is growing every day. In that sense, we will probably see more cybersecurity issues emerge in the upcoming times. But, for now, it is important to care about cybersecurity in the cloud, as the responsibility is always split between the cloud provider, and the cloud consumer, no matter what kind of subscription (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) is in effect.

Interested in pursuing knowledge on cybersecurity in the cloud? Browse the CCSE training that explores in very depth the challenges or learn cloud security best practices with the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) course.