For many enterprise organizations, connecting users and their devices with important information and services means relying on internal IT networks and infrastructure. This reliance can be costly and lead to downtimes when things go wrong.

Businesses turn to the cloud for better support and infrastructure, but they still require protection from potential threats and malicious actors who want to gain access to protected networks. 

Why Use the Cloud?

Cloud computing has fundamentally transformed the way that enterprises manage their data and network infrastructure. With cloud tools and technologies, organizations that rely on the internet and online services to manage their operations have access to dependable storage and real-time computing power. 

This setup means convenient access to managed environments that are built to fit the needs of users. 

The cloud offers a variety of benefits to users. For enterprise organizations, the cloud provides an efficient, controlled, and flexible environment that they can leverage to save money while scaling operations to fit increased demand. Cloud solutions are:

Efficient

The biggest problem with data management is the time it takes to find and manage essential IT resources. IT directors and cybersecurity professionals who want to make the most out of their resources turn to the cloud for improved performance and lower costs.

The cloud allows enterprises working with digital technology and data to save money with remote access to vital systems. Cloud computing technologies give users access to more knowledge so they can reduce waste without compromising the quality of service. 

With the cloud, operations are more energy-efficient, and there is less overhead for IT leaders when making important decisions about where to invest. 

Controlled

When enterprises start to grow, it can be difficult for decision-makers to manage the increased complexities of data management. Cloud services offer users a secure environment for working, communicating, and sharing vital information.

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals who deploy cloud solutions within their organizations have better oversight over how information is accessed and how it’s used. Cloud services give managers better quality control over their workforce and offer tools for tracking and analysis of vital data flows. 

This analysis gives users better insight into their systems so they can build more practical management solutions and offer support to users in completing vital tasks.

Flexible

For many modern businesses, the cloud is an essential part of daily operations that can encompass the full range of internal IT services. However, enterprises often depend on pre-established architecture that limits their growth opportunities.

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals who want redundant infrastructure turn to the cloud for scalable solutions. The cloud provides mobility so employees can access important systems and data from anywhere. This mobility means workflows can be managed across multiple systems. 

The cloud offers many benefits to enterprise organizations, but malicious actors are ready and willing to take advantage of those who aren’t prepared.

What Is Cloud Cybersecurity?

When businesses turn to the cloud to manage their networks, they are introducing potential vulnerabilities that malicious actors can use to exploit systems or steal valuable information.

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals should be aware of the best practices for improving cloud cybersecurity within their organizations.

Cloud cybersecurity offers protection from cyberthreats such as:

  • Adware, spyware, and malware
  • DoS and DDoS attacks
  • Phishing and email scams
  • Man-in-the-middle and brute force attacks
  • SQL injections, DNS spoofing, and zero-day exploits

Enterprises that want to stop cyberattacks from exploiting their cloud ecosystems turn to cybersecurity for improved threat prevention, detection, and removal.

Tips to Improve Cloud Security

For enterprises, cloud cybersecurity is an ongoing struggle to stay ahead of malicious actors. Building better models for cloud cybersecurity deployment gives users added protection against ongoing cybersecurity threats. 

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals who want to improve cloud cybersecurity should track important software for vulnerabilities and patches, work with their employees to build secure practices, and use best practices when working with important services and data.

Enterprises that work to constantly improve upon their network architecture are less likely to become victims of cloud-based cyberattacks.

Keep Systems Up-to-Date

When companies use outdated or compromised software, they leave themselves vulnerable to cyber threats. Malicious actors are constantly on the lookout for potential security holes, and outdated or unmaintained software is a primary target.

To ensure safe cloud infrastructure, IT directors and cybersecurity professionals should ensure they do constant monitoring for potential security vulnerabilities in their systems and software. Targeted attacks against software that hasn’t been properly patched leave users vulnerable to data loss, theft, and destruction.

Businesses that rely on cloud computing should invest in good network security architecture. Modems, routers, user devices, and network end-points should all be secured to mitigate potential harm to users or assets.

Manage Users

Many decision-makers fail to realize the potential for common mistakes by employees due to errors in judgment or misunderstandings about important cybersecurity processes. Accessing emails, clicking links, and answering basic questions can lead to exposure to malicious activity.

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals at enterprise-level organizations should monitor and control data access to ensure any potential problems can be quickly fixed. By developing plans for securing vital network nodes and access points, IT leaders will have better protection against malicious actors. 

When managing cloud cybersecurity, it’s essential to have clear guidelines in place. Leaders should work to create workflow templates and step-by-step guides for data governance to reinforce compliance. This approach means laying out what can be used, what it can be used for, and by who. 

Enterprises should make sure passwords are changed at regular intervals and that users are managing their credentials correctly. Employees should be using strong and complicated passwords alongside multifactor authentication.

Offer Training

It’s essential for businesses that rely on cloud services to communicate the importance of good security practices. IT directors and cybersecurity professionals need to ensure employees are well-versed in cybersecurity. This strategy means communicating potential IT risks and training employees in best practices regarding network security.

IT leaders who want better network security should work to provide ongoing support and training so that their staff has the education needed to prevent malicious activities such as social engineering. By building simple strategies that anyone can follow, employers can ensure their employees are comfortable reporting potential errors and mistakes. 

Training allows enterprises to reinforce the principles of shared responsibility so that employees understand their part in preventing security breaches. 

Businesses should see employee training as an opportunity to establish baselines and fill skills gaps. By finding the best talent and putting them in charge, employers are better equipped to deal with their security needs in the future.

Perform Regular Backups

The loss, theft, or destruction of vital user data can leave enterprises that rely on the cloud unable to provide core services, disrupting operations and putting users at risk. 

IT directors and cybersecurity professionals who want to protect their organizations from potential harm caused by cyber threats should work to build resilience into their network architecture. 

Regular backups give businesses redundancies in case of data loss due to equipment failure, natural disasters, or malicious cyberactivity. Daily, weekly, and monthly backups ensure vital data and work won’t be lost when accidents occur. 

Cloud cybersecurity services offer geo-specific backups that can be deployed in a variety of locations. IT leaders should make sure in-transit data is encrypted to prevent potential breaches and ensure legal compliance with user privacy rights.

Improve Processes

While it’s important to build strong cybersecurity practices into cloud-based business models, IT directors and cybersecurity professionals need to be aware that methods used by malicious actors are constantly evolving to find new undiscovered ways of gaining access to valuable data.

IT leaders who want to protect their cloud-based systems should have policies in place to track and collect information about their deployed security models. Cloud cybersecurity services should be continuously assessed and improved so that enterprises aren’t left at the mercy of cybercriminals.

For businesses that want to protect their networks, it’s essential to look at vulnerabilities that occurred, see which were stopped and which succeeded, and try to determine why certain policies resulted in specific outcomes. This analysis allows IT departments to continuously improve their threat prevention models over time.

Better Cloud Defense with Touchstone Security

For many enterprises, developing practical cybersecurity strategies means increased costs and essential resources being pooled away from their core business model. If you’re a director of IT or a cybersecurity professional at a mid-to-large-sized enterprise, then Touchstone Security is the right partner for you.

Touchstone Security’s streamlined cybersecurity services were designed to give you fully-managed experiences that are both cost-effective and safe. 

 

If you want measurable improvements to your cloud-based cybersecurity architecture, Touchstone Security has helped enterprise-level organizations all around the world build lasting solutions designed specifically for their needs. 

 

Touchstone Security provides comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessments and incident response for mid-sized organizations such as banks and financial institutions. 

 

Our backup and recovery solutions provide flexible tools that integrate with your existing ecosystem. In addition to cloud cybersecurity work, we provide ransomware negotiation, dark-web monitoring, and security awareness training.

 

Speak with Touchstone Security’s office directly to find out about your new cloud cybersecurity program!