Is Cloud Security Something Your Business Should Worry About?

If you are under the impression that working with the cloud doesn’t have risks, than you need to reconsider that line of thought. It’s inevitable that you’ll face security compliance concerns when it comes to your cloud-based data. If your business has data stored in a cloud-based environment, you need to pay particularly close attention to how compliance laws affect the way that you access and store this information. How can your organization ensure that your cloud-based data isn’t in violation of some cloud compliance laws?

To start, if you work with a cloud provider, you’ll need to ask them specific questions about how compliance is handled. You should also make sure that all information you discuss with your cloud provider in regards to compliance be put into a written agreement so that you can properly document who is responsible for what. Listed below are some of the details that your organization should consider.

The Cloud Can Be Messed With
Because data is being stored in an online environment, there will obviously be concerns regarding how it is being managed, maintained, stored, and transferred. This also means that any traffic going to and from the source of the data could be interfered with, resulting in problems. Data can be intercepted while it’s in transit, which is a major issue if you want to remain compliant. Your goal should be to ensure that your data can’t be altered without your consent or knowledge.

If you’d like to make sure that your business is protected in the event of a cloud compliance mishap, you need to consider the legal issues that could surface from not knowing who is hosting the data or how it’s maintained. It’s also imperative that you understand who can see this data. The differences between the private and public cloud also make this a challenging prospect; depending on the way it’s hosted, there could be additional complications associated with it. For example: if someone else is hosting your data, are they responsible for its' security? In the end, it all comes down to figuring out who is responsible for what for the sake of compliance.

What Your Organization Should Do
The best way you can enhance your organization’s cloud compliance is by taking the above ideas and applying them directly to how your organization approaches cloud-based data hosting. Ask yourself how much cloud computing your business actually utilizes or needs. If certain data is critical, perhaps it’s better to simply host it in-house rather than rely on a third party to take care of it for you. The best way to achieve compliance is a proper mix of private and public cloud hosting, so knowing which data is most sensitive or important is of critical importance.

The next step is to begin thinking about who should manage this data, as well as any agreements that you’ve made to ensure its safety. Is it an in-house department or an outsourced agency? Depending on whether it’s outsourced or not, you’ll need to make sure that you’re aware of whose responsibility it is to stick to compliance guidelines. Additionally, you should also plan for having data backups to protect assets in case of a disaster.

To learn more about how your business can ensure cloud compliance, reach out to Macro Systems at 703-359-9211.