How to Secure your Cloud Data
How to Secure your Cloud Data
Since the introduction of cloud services, their usage has become increasingly popular. Some personalities now even use cloud services without being aware of it. Hence do not take the adequate security measures they should take when using the cloud.
Cloud services are online data storage solutions. The most popular being Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. These services allow you to store your data online and access them from any part of the world with an internet connection.
Cloud services offer a wide range of benefits including the ability to work without portable storage devices. It also offers safety for your data from physical accidents such as a hard drive crash. However, there also exists a wide range of concerns especially security concerns. The internet is laden with criminals lurking everywhere to breach people’s data security for different reasons.
In this article, we will review some ways users can protect their cloud data from sinister individuals.
10 Ways to Protect your Cloud Data – How to Secure your Cloud Data
- Backup your Data Locally
Whichever medium you use to store your data, it is essential to keep backups. If you keep your data on the cloud, you should also try to manually backup the data.
If the data you store on the cloud is hit by a cyber-attack, you will have a local backup if the data gets missing. When you have poor or no internet connection, you can access the data from your local backups.
- Use a Cloud Service that Encrypts your Files
The first step in securing your data on the cloud is by using a cloud service that encrypts your files. Encryption helps secure your data from any third-party interference.
Encryption helps protect your data from the service providers and administrators themselves. It also provides an additional layer of security. Encryption gives only you or any person you allow access to your files.
- Deactivate Old Devices that Have Access
With most cloud services, you can access your files from different devices. One of the steps to take in securing your data is to disconnect old devices from the cloud account.
This step is to prevent new owners of those devices from gaining access to your cloud data. You can do it by simply signing out on the device or from inside the account.
- Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
This is a standard security tip for your online security; it applies to your cloud account also. To protect your cloud data, use strong passwords that are long and hard to guess. Ensure that the password contains alphabets, numerals, and symbols.
As a standard security protocol, you should also use multi-factor authentication on your cloud account.
- Don’t Keep Sensitive Information on Cloud
Sensitive information like your crypto wallet passcodes, bank information, and IDs should not be kept on the cloud. Any information that is critically significant to your life should not be stored on the cloud.
- Be Wary of Public Wi-Fi
There are different measures you can put in place when you use your home’s Wi-Fi. You cannot assure all these measures are in place when using public Wi-Fi.
If you cannot verify a public Wi-Fi network, you should not connect to it. Cybercriminals use these open Wi-Fi networks to sniff around people’s information. When you use public Wi-Fi, always use a VPN if you want to view sensitive information on it.
Try not to access your cloud data using public Wi-Fi. If you must, ensure you use a VPN during the process.
- Check your Connected Apps
Sometimes when hackers cannot gain access through the main account, they can go through connected applications. If you have third-party applications that have access to your cloud account, always keep tabs on them. When there are applications that are not in active usage, you can remove them from the list of Connected Apps.
- Your Online Behaviour
How you carry out activities online will always affect the security of your cloud data. If you use a public computer, never forget to log out of your cloud account.
- Protect Your Devices
As you take steps to protect your cloud data, you should take physical steps to protect your devices. Never allow unauthorized physical access to your devices. You can take additional physical steps to protect your cloud account. Setup an additional PIN or password on your phone to access your cloud account.
- Turn on Account Alerts
Many cloud storage services can alert users about events on their accounts. Turn on the alert feature on your cloud account. You can check to see recent activities in your cloud account. It helps you keep a tab about events in your account.
Conclusion – How to Secure your Cloud Data
Being able to protect your cloud data from external interference is quite difficult. However, if you frequently store your data using cloud services, you should not overlook precautionary measures. Also, check for means of safeguarding your devices, it is the first step in protecting your cloud data.
Contact Cybersploits for advanced data security and ethical hacking services.
[…] How to Secure your Cloud Data […]