After going through the topic, most of you might have felt whether Cloud-based compliance does really play an important role towards an organization’s success or not. Well, the answer to your curiosity is YES!
Compliance with Cloud has been a key challenge for many organizations. The need for Cloud-based compliances pop up as soon as one decides to migrate his data on the Cloud. Most of the Cloud Service Providers or CSPs didn’t emphasize much on the security of the data hosted or whether it aligned to the industry-defined compliances and regulations.
The primary focus of these CSPs revolved around providing data storage along with Cloud storage to enterprises. With an increased demand for stringent data laws emerging across nations, CSPs are now becoming more aware of providing Cloud compliances and certifications.
Achieving Success with Cloud Compliance
So, with such a dynamically changing security ecosystem and new compliances coming in, let’s find out how these compliances can help organizations achieve success-
- Clear Understanding of Regulations and Guidelines One of the major aspects of Cloud compliance is looping in a diversity of industry standards and regulations that everyone must comply with. These regulations can be either local, national or even globally accepted ones, which must be adhered to without any compromise. With technology getting advanced, CSPs are now getting empowered to deal with various Cloud compliances through a team of experts that strive hard to ensure compliances are met. Having such a dedicated team helps organizations access all the compliance infrastructures on the go, with the team looking after handling audits. Users also get the flexibility to download the audit reports for demonstrating compliance needs. The most critical thing for any Cloud user is to remain aware of all the compliant & defined policies and procedures. The user’s CSP should also remain compliant with these standards at all times and must be able to provide the supporting documentation for all such compliances.
- Access Controls The absence of correct authentication and access control can become a major source of data breaches in organizations. Most enterprises perceive MFA (Multi-factor Authentication) strategies as complicated and time-consuming one. With similar advanced technology mechanisms, enterprises can avoid major security-related threats. Features like Single Sign-On or SSO can be a convenient option for users, but at the same time can increase the chances of getting hacked if a user’s login credentials get hacked. The best method to reduce the risks of data or credentials getting compromised is using MFA. MFA is a completely secure process that makes it difficult for hackers to break in. To log in, users must use a secondary authentication source besides their login credentials. Using MFA reduces the chances of anyone illegally using his credentials to steal critical information.
- Classifying the Data and Its Storage One of the major components of Cloud compliance is understanding where the data is stored. In audits, users must provide the exact location where their data is present and mechanisms for protecting it. Cloud users must carefully evaluate the CSPs and get the correct documentation related to the servers’ location. A majority of the industry standards and compliances demand that the CSPs such as bodHOST host their data within the hosting nation’s geographic boundaries. Once the CSP has been evaluated, users must consider classifying their data & what has to be migrated to the Cloud. Owing to compliance and security concerns, it is highly recommended that confidential and sensitive data remain hosted on the organization’s internal network. Private Cloud hosting can be a great option to consider, as hosted on the premises offers Cloud storage benefits.
- Keep on Encrypting the Data Once the data has classified his data, the next step is to encrypt the data from his CSP. Whenever critical data gets encrypted, it gets secured against all threats and attacks. Also, encryption of data ensures that it adheres to various compliance needs. Most of the CSPs tend to offer encryption from their end. In case the CSP is offering data encryption, the user must carefully understand what form of encryption is being provided and its applicability. Cloud users must be aware of the Cloud encryption at all stages- in transit or movement. Certain standard protocols need to be followed during the transit phase, ensuring encrypted and safe communication between users and the Cloud servers. Usually, CSPs establish a virtual network by restricting internal access with the traffic volume flowing between the machines present in the Cloud in an encrypted format. Virtual networks can be of great help as they eliminate risks related to data being hacked.
Concluding Words:
With Cloud hosting, there are many regulations and compliances that CSPs need to adhere to. Over time, the majority of the CSPs have started understanding the due importance of these compliances. These compliances ensure that the data hosted on the Cloud is completely secure and well-protected against all forms of threats and attacks.
If you’re looking for a fully compliant Cloud Hosting Solution, reach out to Team bodHOST now!!