Is Moving to the Cloud a Data Security Risk?

Is your company information safe when you store it in the cloud?

This is a question that is being asked by business owners in many different industries. They’ve recognised the many benefits of keeping documents in the cloud, including the following:

It’s generally less expensive to store documents in the cloud because you don’t have to cover the infrastructure costs associated with on-site storage.
Since you only need a computer with an internet connection to access your files, you don’t need to worry about maintenance and employee attention for your storage.
With cloud storage, you can work on your files from anywhere, allowing for greater staff productivity.
Cloud storage is inherently scalable: you only pay for what you use. If you need more storage, you simply scale up.

These are some great benefits, and some of these can significantly improve the way your organisation operates. However, some businesses have lingering doubts about cloud computing because of information security concerns.

While there are concerns in cloud security, a vast number of information security breaches are caused by human error. An information security management system is a great defence.

Information Security Management System

An information security management system ensures that good security practices are at the core of an organisation’s operations. Let’s take a look at some common information security risks and outline how an information security management system mitigates them.

Password Problems

Remember the 2014 attack on Apple’s iCloud in which private pictures were stolen from the personal accounts of 26 celebrities? Some people point to this incident as evidence that the cloud is not secure, but in fact it was Apple’s password system that was breached, not the cloud. An Apple press release alluded to poor password protection and lack of two-step verification as a contributor to the breach.

An information security management system outlines password protection guidelines, which should be followed by all employees to minimise vulnerabilities.

Data Encryption

Since data can be captured en route to and from the cloud, it’s important to encrypt information for the journey. Again, an information security management system outlines encryption protocols to avoid security breaches.

People Problems

One of the most difficult challenges with data security is keeping sensitive information out of dangerous hands. For example, disgruntled employees may download sensitive data onto a USB drive and hand it over to competitors, as was the case with recent breaches to impact Showpo and Toll Transport.

Controlling and limiting access to sensitive data is an essential measure to combat this issue. Not every employee needs access to customer information lists, and the fewer people who have them, the less risk you’ll bear.