Cloud services are now a fundamental component of enterprise IT infrastructure. Between the cost efficiencies, the ease of deployment and the mobility that these solutions offer, it just makes sense in today's corporate world to rely on hosted hardware, databases and applications. However, despite all the benefits that cloud services provide - according to The Wall Street Journal - cloud security is the biggest hurdle preventing businesses from going all in on these services, with 35 percent of chief information officers citing those data security fears as the reason for avoiding cloud storage.
Meanwhile, some CIOs think that there is nothing wrong with hosting data in the cloud or using cloud-based apps. The CIO of the United States, Tony Scott, said that cloud service providers can "do a much better job of security than any one company or any one organization can probably do." Scott believes that the average entity cannot protect data as well as cloud vendors because that's their business, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The cloud is not secure
While that might be true, there are still inherent flaws in assuming that cloud-stored data is secure at all times. Writing for Lexology, Diane D. Reynolds of law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP explained that with cloud services, personal information and corporate data is in the hands of a third-party organization and at a completely different geological location - this means that the data owner has lost control of its most valuable possession.
"There are too many variables that make using cloud services a major risk to data."
The puzzle of data security and privacy in the cloud becomes more complex when additional cloud services are added to the mix. MSPMentor cited a report that asserted the typical company leverages around 721 cloud solutions. While that might seem extreme, shadow IT prevents most businesses from identifying just how many cloud services are used by employees under the radar. The chances of all of those 721 providers being able to guarantee data security and ensure data privacy aren't high.
While some cloud vendors can and should be trusted, there are too many variables that make using cloud services a major risk to data: The government could request backdoor access, an authorized user could be compromised, or cybercriminals could infiltrate another company's cloud instances and they could move across data centers, stealing information.
The cloud security solution
Businesses cannot forfeit the cloud. It is too valuable. Therefore, they must go to extra lengths to ensure data security in the cloud, whether using hosted infrastructure, storage or apps.
Regardless of what the cloud provider says it can offer with respect to data security and privacy, all organizations should encrypt their cloud-stored information at all times. The priority here is to ensure that the vendor cannot access their customers' data - if cloud providers can see information, then they can share it or allow other parties, such as the government, to evaluate the data. Organizations should also maintain complete control over encryption keys. This aligns with what's stated above: No one else should have access to data besides its owner.
CloudMask is a data-centric cybersecurity solution that fulfills both of those requirements: encrypts data in all its states and provides users with control over encryption keys. With those two capabilities, organizations can take advantage of cloud services without sacrificing security.
With CloudMask, only your authorized parties can decrypt and see your data. Not hackers with your valid password, Not Cloud Providers, Not Government Agencies, and Not even CloudMask can see your protected data. Twenty-six government cybersecurity agencies around the world back these claims.
Watch our video and demo at www.vimeo.com/cloudmask
