Cloud Source

Cyber Security: Establishing a Protection Strategy

by

Regardless of the size of your organization or the industry in which you’re working, systems and data face cyber security challenges that must be addressed. Working out a protection strategy has to be at the top of the list of IT priorities because the threat is too severe to ignore.

In its simplest terms, cyber security is the practice of keeping all your data protected from cyber criminals who possess the means to hold your unsecured data hostage. However, cyber security can also include protection against power outages and hard drive failures.

Unintentional failures can be safeguarded against quite easily, yet cyber criminals are constantly coming up with new ways of breaking through. For many IT professionals, it’s not a question of if data will be compromised – it’s only a question of when.

Addressing the Weak Links
To err is human. We know this because code developers include unintentional bugs in their work that gives cyber criminals access to systems. However, it’s often non-code writing employees that fail to adhere to cyber security protocols, leaving the door open for attack.

Ongoing training is required to ensure this doesn’t happen, or happens less frequently. Employees need to know what to look for in order to identify a phishing email. There needs to be an established set of rules that are well known to the point of memorization, such as those regarding authentication practices.

Securing the Network
One of the problems with locking down a network so it is fully protected is that doing so can stifle productivity. Access controls are put in place to keep malicious attackers out, but the give and take means you’re slowing down your workflow.

There are tools that can be used to keep an eye on your network, but the process creates a great amount of data, which means alerts can be missed. The advent of machine learning has created a method through which these alerts are missed far less often.

There are also application security protocols that can assist in shoring up weak links, particularly in web application processes. Putting a team in place to monitor application development and deployment is a good idea for ensuring security remains a priority.

At Cloud Source, we know organizations have a tough time finding the right technology for their business needs. We work to simplify the vendor selection process for your IT operations and find the right solutions at the right prices. Contact us today to discuss your cyber security needs.

The Reality of Cloud Security: Why IT Professionals Are Still Reluctant on Full Adoption

by

Cloud SecurityAlthough cloud services provide undeniable benefits, the fact remains that many IT professionals are still apprehensive about security. A recent study conducted by Crowd Research Partners discovered concerns about specific issues related to cloud security. Citing the fact that traditional tools are handicapped or simply don’t work in a cloud deployment, along with other barriers, professionals are befuddled on how to adequately protect cloud-based services in the expanding complexity of the network infrastructure.

According to the 2,200 global security professionals surveyed, the major drawbacks to increased cloud adoption were listed as:

  • Security risks (33%)
  • Lack of qualified personnel (28%)
  • Integration issues with existing IT environments (27%)

Of these issues, the survey found that the “single biggest threat to cloud security was the misuse of employee credentials and improper access controls.” Hijacking of accounts and insecure interfaces came in close behind. Since only a little over half of organizations are using Active Directory (AD) to authenticate and authorize access to cloud applications, the reason for the dissatisfaction is plain.

Additional Cloud Security Challenges

Over 80% of the community shared the following views of traditional security tools:

  • They have limited functionality for cloud security (48%)
  • They can’t be measured for effectiveness (25%)
  • They simply don’t work in the cloud (11%)

These statistics illuminate the lack of knowledge available, since there are cloud security tools out there that can achieve compliance and limit data leakage risks.

Although tools are very important, another problem that plagues cyber security is the lack of qualified security experts. There isn’t a huge amount of professionals in the field of security to choose from, so companies are focusing on in-house training or considering managed service providers with specialists on staff.

  • 61% of organizations are planning to train and certify existing staff
  • 45% partner with an MSP (managed service provider)
  • 42% are deploying additional security software for both data and application protections

Because of the shift in the infrastructure landscape with more and more businesses running more than one cloud service within the organization, problems arise when trying to establish visibility across the environment. Security professionals must now operate in mixed environments that include Amazon Web Service (AWS), Azure, and other in-house infrastructure.

Without complete visibility, ensuring compliance becomes extremely difficult. 37% of respondents cite visibility and 36% name compliance as a major cloud issue. In addition to these problems, individuals surveyed indicated that the challenge of developing consistent policies coupled with difficulties in reporting and remediating cyber security threats in the cloud was another source of vexation.

To adequately address cloud security concerns, a comprehensive approach is required. Since the benefits of the cloud deliver measurable improvements, the key to maintaining security for companies is to deploy custom solutions that address specific needs.

The New Age of Security: Adapting to the Evolution of Business

by

SecurityThe steady, rapid evolution of technology means that businesses must evolve as well. But with new technology comes new security challenges, and one part of a successful evolution is knowing how to continue to protect valuable business assets. There are three main areas to examine when adjusting security measures to the changing face of technology:

  • A changing workforce
  • Decentralized IT
  • Flexible development

Changing Workforce

Before technology became global and easily accessed, a company’s workforce came to the building at set hours and accessed company information through company devices. Today, not only are there many different types of employees, but there are also different ways of working. In order to keep data secure, businesses must know who can access what, and when — and be able to quickly allow or restrict access. Using identity management and becoming more project-based will allow professionals to keep up with a more fluid and dynamic workforce.

Decentralized IT

Many IT professionals are no longer together in one department; instead they’re often part of another department altogether, a practice known as shadow IT. The professionals in these departments often focus only on their own IT needs, rather than widespread company needs, and are able to purchase cloud services without needing to go through a single lead CIO.

Security, therefore, is also spread throughout the organization, meaning that leaders should be able to identify where security is needed and the optimal time to deploy it at the beginning of a project. The best way to accomplish this is to be at the forefront of new projects and technology, able to see potential issues before they become an actual problem.

Flexible Development

Flexibility is key to a successful business, and many organizations are turning towards an Agile development process to adapt to their customers’ ever-changing needs. Entering a project at the ground floor is key to keeping it secure, especially as there’s often little or no time to test before software is deployed. And with many businesses moving towards real-time data flow and live environments, experts need to focus on the issues that can arise in those areas.

No matter what the methods and technology used, security is and will always be a concern for businesses. The ability to adapt to the changing world through the workforce, flexible development, and decentralized IT will enable a business to succeed without sacrificing its ability to protect important data.

Data Security: Keeping Sensitive Data Safe Within a Public Cloud

by

SecurityAccording to a recent Intel report, approximately 93% of companies have adopted some sort of cloud service, choosing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), or a hybrid. This broad adoption of cloud services and the move from private clouds to public indicate better trust in the technology — according to the Intel report, for every person who distrusts the cloud, there are two who feel it’s safe.


Security Risks

However, this doesn’t mean that there are no longer any risks associated with the cloud. Approximately 62% of respondents have moved sensitive customer data to the cloud, which has increased the risk of a breach; almost half of companies have been able to track malware back to a SaaS application. Part of the problem falls on the people using the cloud: a lack of cybersecurity professionals in combination with employees using unsanctioned cloud services known as shadow IT. Even NASA isn’t exempt, with a recent audit discovering that government data has been uploaded to public cloud storage services.

Sensitive Data and Cybercriminals

The large-scale move of data to public cloud services has unfortunately attracted the attention of cybercriminals, who seek to exploit weak and vulnerable targets. According to the report, user credentials are the most likely point where cybercriminals will seek to access data. Shadow IT is also an area of concern, with 65% of IT professionals stating that the use of shadow IT is interfering with their efforts to keep cloud services secure.

What the Business Can Do

Businesses can be proactive in reducing security risks before they become a real problem. Using solutions that are integrated and/or unified will enable the business to reduce the majority of risk by giving IT professionals a full overview of the system and its permissions. Authentication best practices — biometrics, multi-factor authentication, and unique passwords — will help to prevent cybercriminals from accessing user and admin credentials. Businesses should also utilize security technologies, including:

  • Cloud access security brokers
  • Data loss prevention
  • Encryption

The cloud is flexible and cost-effective, but the data uploaded to it needs to be safe and secure in order for businesses to reap the benefits. Whatever the service, whether individual or hybrid, businesses should be looking to increase their security by using available technologies, concentrating on keeping cybercriminals from accessing user credentials, and ensuring their IT department is ahead of the curve to prevent employees from using shadow IT.

Security: How IT Decentralization Introduces Vulnerabilities

by

SecurityThe decentralization of IT management, brought about by more businesses moving to the cloud, brings with it growing concerns about vulnerabilities, according to a survey commissioned by virtualization vendor VMware. The purchase of non-secure solutions has led to new compliance and security issues, and IT managers must overhaul their measures in order to keep up with the move to the cloud.

The Effects of Decentralization

According to the VMware study,

  • 69% of those surveyed agree that IT management has become decentralized,
  • 57% believe that, as a direct result, non-secure cloud and other services are being purchased,
  • a similar percentage believe that this results in non-compliant applications, and
  • 61% agree that decentralization leads to duplicate IT resources.

Shifting to the Cloud

The cloud has become a solution that the majority of businesses are using, driven at least in part by efficiency, flexibility, and long-term cost savings. According to the study, IT infrastructure spending is up by an average of 5.7%, which includes authorization of devices and new applications. However, this comes with the risk of breaches, especially as business leaders are able to purchase technology themselves rather than relying on the IT department to properly vet new applications before they’re deployed.

The Role of IT in Keeping Data Secure

Regardless of whether the IT department itself purchased and implemented the new applications, it is usually responsible for their security. According to the aforementioned survey,

  • almost 75% of business leaders are authorizing new devices,
  • 56% of business leaders are purchasing third-party applications,
  • nearly 50% of IT leaders have seen a shift in their internal application development, and
  • 75% of IT leaders agree that business users taking control of purchasing and deployment is leading to an increase in vulnerabilities and IT costs.

Finding a Solution

IT managers must find a balance between keeping sensitive data and applications secure and working with business users to continue to grow within new technology. One possible solution is a network virtualization framework, which will not only give the cloud the same security as a physical data center, but also strengthen the network.

Security is the main concern of any business’s IT department as it works to keep data safe and ensure the system is still manageable. However, with more business leaders taking on the role of purchasing and deployment of applications as well as authorization of devices, IT leaders will need to find ways to keep up. Business leaders would benefit from stopping the decentralization of their IT departments, allowing the business to continue to grow and take advantage of flexible new technologies without compromising security and compliance.

Contact

328 S. Jefferson St. Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60661
Ph: 312.753.7880
E: info@CloudSourceServices.com

Newsletter Signup

Stay up-to-date on Cloud Source's news.

↑ Top of Page