With many waves of cyber attacks that continue to increase year after year, every business, small and big alike, are looking for ways to protect themselves, security wise. The concepts of cyber security as well as cloud computing have been introduced to help provide a solution to these issues. The number one concern now boils down to what cloud provider the enterprise should choose.
On top of all priorities that one should think of when it comes to choosing the cloud provider is the security technology that these companies deploy. There can also be a difference between the privacy, compliance and availability of your data as a result of the migration to the whole new world of cloud computing. In order to help you finally decide when making the choice, you should consider asking cloud providers the following questions. Make sure they provide you with the exact answers you want to hear.
"How is the company data encrypted?"
Security issues commonly arise from the loss or theft of devices specifically unencrypted ones. It is therefore crucial for a cloud provider to be able to answer this question in a way that there is assurance as to how everything will be protected during data encryption. In this case, the best reply would be that the provider encrypts data not just in transit or at rest but also in your mobile gadgets or devices.
Perhaps you would want to know why it is so important for all data to be encrypted. It is because of the reason that the failure to do so will result to consequences you can never imagine. That would include serious penalties for organizations failing to comply with regulations set by the industry with which they belong to. This could apply to all types of businesses whose main product or service would require personal information from consumers. Take note, however, that the regulations are not limited to such types of enterprise.
When all data is encrypted by the cloud provider then you can be sure that your business data are secured at all times. Add to that, this can also mean better advantage on your enterprise's part since it is true that companies blessed with a strong data encryption policy will be able to assure their consumers secure transactions at all times no matter where they do business from.
"What certifications have you complied with specifically when it comes to security?"
There are minimum requirements when it comes to security certifications for cloud providers. This would include successfully completing the so-called SOC 1 audit. It would also mean completing testing given by independent auditors that verify and certify that the company underwent all requirements pertaining to physical access, internal controls and physical security. This phase gives cloud providers the authority to disclose their control processes and activities to their customers.
These minimum requirements are not enough for some cloud providers however. There are those who take things a notch higher by taking SOC 2/3 which includes Trust Services Principles among all other training that will pass AICPA/CICA standards. Additionally, there are also some other organizations that are required to possess certifications to comply with regulations set by their respective industries.
"How can you guarantee that all data encrypted are available at all times?"
As a client of these cloud providers, you would certainly want your business data to be available to you at all times, whenever you need them, wherever you are. You then have to make sure that you are familiar with the cloud provider's facilities uptime and downtime, if there is any. Alongside this, you should also be well-versed with their service legal agreements or SLA as well as be knowledgeable with services they render when it comes to replicating data.
When checking on the facility's uptime, you have to make sure that they will be able to deliver at almost a hundred percent. The SLA should be able to back this up and outline measures the company will take to ensure that the uptime is met at all times. Likewise, the SLA should include specifications regarding penalties if the cloud provider will not be able to comply with these measures.
"Do you have a disaster recovery plan in place?"
The cloud provider must also have their detailed disaster recovery plan that would include everything from cloud replication to data backup. In line with this, you should be able to ask them about how such plan is made – whether they do it right into your organization's environment or in their hosting sites instead.
If you are looking to choose a cloud provider who can answer the above-mentioned questions with flying colors then you can try us. We are confident on answering these questions and we are committed to ensure the best security measures for our cloud solutions.
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