emember when Cloud was something misty up in the sky? Me, neither! In the present day, Cloud is all about computing which in today’s nomenclature means storing and managing data on the cloud servers. It is not a physical thing but a network of servers with each server having different functions. If it sounds like geek talk to you, know that you use Cloud daily! Actually, you may even be using it right now! Yes, you heard it right! From Evernote, Dropbox to Google Drive to Instagram, as long as you are not using your phone’s or computer’s internal data, you store the information on the Cloud. If you are using online backup solutions then you’re storing files in the cloud.
When the Cloud is being used so much, it is understandable that it attracts a lot of hacking attempts. To keep your data safe, you must be aware of the risks when storing important data and sensitive information on the Cloud and take all precautions to protect your data. Security issues should be your prime concern when storing data online.
There are few tips that you must follow to ensure that your data is securely transferred online.
- Understand Your Data
Understand the value of the information you are storing on cloud and segregate the data into sensitive information and public data. You can use private cloud services to store sensitive information and public cloud services to store variable workloads. Public information would not have the high level of security as much as sensitive information has. Use appropriate security controls to protect the information.
- Keep a Backup of Your Data
It is very important to keep a backup of your data offline. There are chances of cloud crashing (although it is not a very common phenomenon), and you cannot access the files for hours because of such errors. Public cloud services offer same server for many clients and there may be some chance of your data getting lost. By keeping backup of all vital documents, you can save your precious time.
- How is Your Data Protected?
When you sign up with a cloud service provider check about their data encryption policies and firewall security rules. Find out what security measures your cloud service provider is providing to protect your data. Data protection is very much necessary. Go through your contract and check the level of responsibility the provider will take for security, functionality and continuity of service. Check if there are any indemnity in the event of a security violation.
- Always Choose Strong Password
Passwords are one of the major reasons why data gets hacked. You won’t believe the number of people using weak passwords to protect their important assets! Always choose password that cannot be easily cracked. Your password should contain at least 10 to 12 alphanumeric characters with uppercase and lowercase letters and special symbols. At the same time make sure that the password is easy for you to remember.
- Encrypt Your Data
Encryption is the best way to rescue your data from hackers. Some cloud providers use strong encryption algorithms. Always go with such cloud service providers and also append your own layers of encryption before replicating your data on cloud, as it makes it difficult for hackers to steal your data.
With these tips, you would be able to keep your data safe your peace of mind intact. What do you think? Post your inputs below in the comment section.
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