Sometimes cloud solutions for your business are really fast and convenient to implement. If it’s a third-party solution, you simply sign up for the service and that is all that is needed. They’ve got all the security covered, right?
Unfortunately, no. The service provider will indeed ensure the security is set up and enforced on their infrastructure. However, the responsibility of securing your account is yours. This confusion is why a lot of people don’t secure their accounts correctly, if at all.
Misconfigurations are the top reason for data breaches with cloud computing. Misconfigurations are abundant. They might be anything from an inactive security feature to an oversight of employee access rights.Â
Don’t worry, we’ll cover the main 6 misconfigurations that you might be experiencing.
Here are 6 misconfigurations to check to ensure your cloud is safe:
- Enable visibility into your cloud infrastructure
- Restrict privileged accounts
- Put in place automated security policies
- Use a cloud security audit tool
- Set up alerts for when configurations change
- Have a cloud specialist check your cloud settings
1. Enable visibility into your cloud infrastructure
Do you know all the different cloud apps that your employees are using? Chances are, you don’t. It’s estimated that shadow IT (unauthorized cloud apps) use is approximately 10x the size of known cloud use. To protect something, you first need to know about it. This is why gaining visibility into your entire cloud environment is crucial. One way to do this is through a cloud access security application.
2. Restrict privileged accounts
The more privileged accounts you have, the higher the risk of a misconfiguration. Audit privileged accounts in all cloud tools and reduce the number of administrative accounts to the least needed to operate. This way, you won’t have to worry about someone accidentally opening a vulnerability.
3. Put in place automated security policies
Automation helps mitigate human error. For example, you can use a feature like sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 to set a “do not copy” policy. This policy will follow the file through each supported cloud application, and users don’t need to do anything to enable it once you put the policy in place.
4. Use a cloud security audit tool
How secure is your cloud environment? How many misconfigurations might there be right now? It’s important to know this information so you can correct issues and reduce risk. Use an auditing tool like Microsoft Secure Score to scan your cloud environment and let you know where problems exist. It should also provide recommended remediation steps.
5. Set up alerts for when configurations change
Once you get your cloud security settings right, they won’t necessarily stay that way. Several things can cause a change in a security setting without you realizing it. Be proactive by setting up alerts for any significant change in your cloud environment. For example, when the setting to force multi-factor authentication gets turned off.
6. Have a cloud specialist check your cloud settings
Business owners, executives, and office managers aren’t cybersecurity experts, and they shouldn’t have to be. It’s best to have a cloud security specialist from a trusted IT company check your settings. This way, you can ensure that they’re set up to keep your data protected without restricting your team.
Misconfigurations are a serious issue that can lead to data breaches, but by following these six tips, you can improve your cloud security and lower your chances of a data breach. Remember, the key to cloud security is understanding the risks and taking the necessary steps to mitigate them. If you have any questions or need help with your cloud security, don’t hesitate to reach out for a cloud security assessment. Happy cloud computing!