Cloud security is generally a process of providing a secure environment, comprising a set of measures that work together to protect the cloud systems. Mitigating potential leakage and data theft is crucial to establish trust among clients. The ensuing cost of a data breach can be significant, reaching up to millions which can be detrimental to many companies. Additionally, maintaining regulatory compliance is another reason having the highest level of cloud computing security is a must due to the risk of hefty fines.  

When you want to stay abreast with the potential security issues and challenges you're likely to encounter in cloud computing, you may want to check out https://www.buchanan.com/cloud-computing-security-issues/ and other similar sources online. 

By using the right technologies and policies in your organization, you can take a proactive approach to keep the cloud safe. Here are several ways to enhance cloud computing security. 

1. Streamline The User Accessibility  

In any organization, not all employees have access to every data or application in the cloud infrastructure. With this in mind, an identity and access management (IAM) plan allows you to configure the proper authorization levels. It may be best to work with a managed services provider that offers this type of service. With this, you can limit access for every employee, which means they can only view or change the data or applications they are allowed to access. 

Designating access control can help prevent employees from unintentionally modifying unauthorized information. It also protects your data against hackers who might have acquired an employee's credentials.  

2. Conduct Penetration Testing 

As data breaches continue to occur among businesses, it is best to consider penetration testing in your company. Generally, it's a type of testing that analyzes a company's network environment to identify and determine potential weak points or vulnerabilities, similar to what a hacker would do. Figuring out the susceptible points in an organization allows you to carry out the appropriate measures to boost security. 

It's time to prioritize the identification of vulnerabilities throughout your organization. If you want to know more about penetration testing, you may want to check out cpcyber.com/penetration-testing-cost/ and similar online sources. 

3. Close Monitoring Of End-User Activities  

Make it a priority to implement real-time monitoring and analysis of end-user activities. Doing so will help pinpoint potential irregularities from the usual usage patterns, such as log-ins from unknown devices or IP addresses. Any unusual activities may be an indication of a breach in the system. Timely detection can stop hackers and enable you to deal with security issues before they get out of hand. 

4. Develop A Comprehensive Off-Boarding Process 

If some employees are going to leave the company, make sure they no longer have access to the cloud. It's an important security measure often overlooked after an employee leaves.  

Make sure to cancel all access rights of former team members, depending on the level of accessibility they had. If you find the task challenging to manage internally, consider outsourcing the task to a reliable provider.  

5. Schedule Ongoing Training On Cybersecurity Threats  

The workforce of your organization may pose the biggest threat to cloud security, but not in a direct manner. Nowadays, phishing is becoming rampant since it's one of the easiest ways hackers can access data from the inside. With this in mind, it's crucial to provide your employees with ongoing training on the current cybersecurity threats, such as phishing, keylogging, and ransomware, to name a few. 

6. Backup The Cloud Storage  

Among the various measures and practices to improve cloud security, there are always inevitable security risks. In the worst-case scenario, you may need to wipe out all data if a potential breach happens to mitigate the data loss. In some scenarios, employees might accidentally delete important company data. With this in mind, make it a priority to back up the data stored in the cloud. Remember that you never know when you might lose crucial company data, so it is best to carry out preventative measures.

7. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)  

Over the years, the conventional username and password combination has been the norm. Sadly, it's no longer enough to ensure safety against hacking attempts nowadays. Hackers gain access to crucial data and applications when credentials end up stolen.  

If you want to protect all cloud-based applications and services used in daily operations from cybersecurity threats such as ransomware, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA). With an additional layer of protection during the sign-in process—usually, a pin or code sent to another user's device—this security feature will only allow access to authorized individuals. 

Final Thoughts 

Given the increasing cybersecurity threats, overlooking cloud security can be detrimental. If you want to maintain the highest level of security for your organization's cloud infrastructure, there are several security measures to keep in mind. These measures will help lessen the potential risks of cybersecurity threats and ensure operations flow smoothly.