Understanding the value of cloud data encryption is critical to the security of your sensitive data.
Data encryption is an extremely important feature for cloud internet access to your files. There are cloud solutions out there that are free, but many don’t have the level of security options needed, including data encryption.
Data encryption means that your data is transformed and encoded before it goes into cloud storage. Cloud service providers offer encryption services such as an encrypted connection or limited encryption of sensitive data, with an encryption key to decrypt the data as you need it.
Office 365 Message Encryption consists of a built-in service that encrypts all messages whether they are inside or outside of the platform. This kind of encryption service prevents unauthorized free access to your system or file data without the decryption key. It is considered an effective data security technique.
Securing data in the cloud should be a top priority. By simply taking a few precautionary measures around data encryption, you can strengthen security for your most sensitive information. Here are some encryption tips to secure your data in the cloud.
Encrypt Data First, Then Upload It
Always encrypt data before uploading. Your cloud service may do this automatically. There are third-party encryption tools to apply passwords and encryption to files after you’re finished editing and before you upload.
Secure Access with Cloud Cryptography
Cloud cryptography can provide secure access and also minimize network congestion. Cryptography offers a layer of information security at a system level and enables secure access to those who share cloud services. This layer of encryption is based on an advanced system of symmetric encryption keys with specific IDs.
Here are some additional cloud data security tips for even more protection:
Back Up Your Cloud Data Locally
Even if you use cloud service providers, you should still backup your most important data locally, either on a secured server or laptop. If your cloud-saved data gets lost or corrupted, you can rely on locally backed-up versions. You can also choose to back up your data on a separate cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
Encryption from Your Cloud Services Provider
Your cloud provider may offer encryption services to protect your data when using their cloud storage. This kind of local encryption gives you an extra layer of security because decryption is required before accessing the data. Encrypting data while at rest is good, but encrypting data being transported is even better.
Prioritize and Map a Plan for Cloud Deployment
Your cloud services provider must know how you want to identify and prioritize your sensitive data. For instance, if your cloud team is using the cloud for video presentations and graphics accessible for public use, only the account information should be encrypted. Other teams may be sharing documentation and source code which would require end-to-end encryption at the file level.
Understand the Details of Service Before Working With a CSP
Be clear on the details of your service-level agreement (SLA), and understand when and where your data is stored. Look for any gap that could infringe on your company’s privacy.
Ensure Team Awareness About Data Security
Data security often depends on your online activity. For example, if you access cloud data on a public computer or over an insecure connection, your data is vulnerable. Do not allow any computer to cache passwords and logins. Make sure to log out from every site or account after you’re finished retrieving the data. It’s advised to avoid unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots. These connections leave your information exposed to hackers.
Implementing a data encryption and cloud security plan is important. Let VAZATA help you with your secure managed cloud services decisions and more.