How to Protect Your Enterprise
Cloud security has never been more important. Remote work has become the norm since the height of the pandemic. Opportunities are continuing to increase for both remote and hybrid work. All over the world, we see companies begin their transition to the cloud in order for employees to access systems and applications off-site. For many organizations, this transition has been quite cumbersome with 40% of companies suffering a cloud-based data breach. Although the benefits of transitioning to the cloud are immense, organizations subsequently open themselves up to potential security threats. Unfortunately, these threats are not slowing down.
Lightpath highlights five cloud security trends you can implement today to protect your organization.
Weak Links
The old adage stays true to this day: you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Cybercriminals look to expose weak points to cloud security in your environment to breach your assets. In order to mitigate these threats, it’s imperative to deploy Endpoint Security. Endpoint security shields entry points or end points of cell phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops from being exploited. To take it a step further, another important strategy to strengthen weak links is utilizing role-based security. Essentially, by reducing privileges to cloud resources, you restrict the ability of the attacker to move laterally within the organization.
Zero-Trust Policy
Next up is the zero-trust policy. Implementing a zero-trust tactic requires every identity to reestablish trust during each new session. Authenticating and continuously validating each user is key to protecting cloud infrastructure. As data continues to bubble to the surface, organizations now have a better understanding of how crucial these zero-trust policies are as no one can assume a threat-free environment exists. Awareness is increasing and to this point, a recent study finds 88% of security leaders say transitioning to a zero-trust approach is “very important.”
Machine Identities
With the number of interconnected devices and IoT usage increasing by the day, the mere connection poses risks. The authenticity and identity of these applications communicating with each other needs to be a top priority. Machine identities authenticate each device and ensure data flows to and from trusted devices only. Without regulating this flow of data, cybercriminals can easily discover system vulnerabilities and then proceed to sabotage your network.
Cloud Controls
Misconfigurations in cloud accounts can accidentally expose data and cause security breaches. Many organizations are used to implementing a specific set of security controls that suffice for on-premise organizations but don’t make the cut when it comes to a cloud environment. By thoroughly tracking configurations along with identity policies and permissions, your security team can be set up for success against these attacks.
Dedicated Secure Connectivity
Simply put, when it comes to evaluating cloud connectivity, non-internet based dedicated circuits lower the risk of intrusion. Enter: Optical Transport. Optical Transport connectivity is both secure and reliable because the optical fiber is a Layer 1/1.5 service, making it that much more difficult to breach since a physical intrusion would need to occur to do so. Lastly, it might go without saying, but it’s best practice to continuously review your cloud provider’s security protocols so you stay up to speed on how your enterprise is protected.
Unfortunately, security threats are not going away any time soon. Being proactive about cybersecurity in the cloud is the best defense for your enterprise. Use this piece as a talking point at your next cybersecurity meeting and follow Lightpath on LinkedIn for updates. For more information on how Lightpath can assist in securing your enterprise, call 877-544-4872 or visit www.lightpathfiber.com.
