5 Tips to Keep Your Data Secure on the Cloud

Cloud is a data management security that can help you store data in a virtual disk. You can access your file anywhere. Cloud can offer services like serves, storage networking, and other related technology. It can offer fast innovation, flexible resources, and security.

Securing data is the most crucial step in today’s generation, people can access your data and use it against you, can destroy the company’s reputation or giving wrong information that may be used to destroy one’s reputation. We are now living in a world surrounded by technology and it is evolving at a very fast pace.

1. Password Management

Most of the People/user ignored or doesn’t know the password management or password combination for their cloud or even on their email password. They often use their birth date or age to remember their password easily. This is the basic and common error of most of the users/people. This is the format of creating a strong password.

• Use the combination of Upper and lower case, numbers and special characters. Make sure your password contains at least 15 characters to make a strong password and hard to guess.

• Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.

2. Encrypt

 Encryption is the best and easy way to protect your data. The encryption works as follows: You have a file you want to move to a cloud, you use certain software with which you create a password for that file if you move that password-protected file to the cloud no one can see the contact until they input the password that you set for that file. The easiest way to secure your data is to create with zip file(WinZip software) to protect it with a password option. Even when you send it wrong to someone or your data was compromised, they cannot open it automatically as it was protected with a password.

 In case you have more time or you have a certain knowledge for technology and have the energy or want to provide an even higher level of protection for your files you can use TrueCrypt encryption software. If you’re not familiar with true crypt, that is an open-source encryption program with which you can create an encrypted file (“virtual disk”) and keep all of your private files protected with a password.

TrueCrypt is a bit harder to use than WinZip, but it gives you the choice of encryption algorithms (in addition to AES it also offers Serpent) some of which deliver a higher level of reliability. But at the same time, it also has its drawbacks as compared to encrypted zip files.

3. Encrypted cloud service

Some cloud services provide local encryption and decryption of your files in addition to storage and backup. It means that there are services that take care of both of encrypting your files on your own accord and store them safely to the cloud.

Therefore, there is a high probability that no one knows your password including service providers or server administrators that have access to your files ( this is so-called “zero-knowledge” privacy). Among such services are “spideroak” and “wuala“.

Choosing the best way of protecting your information, you need to keep it in mind how valuable that information is to you and if it is reasonable for you to protect it even investing some money for it. Therefore, if you have crucial information or data that you have on the cloud, it is better to invest in some encrypted cloud services. 

Although not everyone is ready to pay for data to be stored, if you use cloud storage for keeping corporate data, you’ll find paying for safe and secure data storage reasonable for the safety of your data.

 4. Install Antivirus Software and Test the Security Measure in Place

All the above security measures could be taken to secure your data, but sometimes the hacker will use your account that you have a logon on the system to get the information that they needed. If no protection provided in your system, the virus can provide penetrations points on your system.

Some or most of the people assumed that files are perfectly secure on the cloud, some organizations may hire ethical-hackers to test your/their security position, you may have tight security on the cloud but they can take advantage if you logon/connected to unauthorized access points or in public places.

5. Back-up Data Locally

The basic and most important of all is to manage your data. Always have a backup for your data locally, Generally speaking, it is a good practice to create electronic copies, not one but at least two or three as back-up as possible. You can backup-up locally or have an external physical storage device(have a password protected on it to make sure it is safe even when you lost it).    

Takeaway

Cloud has some advantages in a way or two. But always keep it in mind that security assurances are not guaranteed, it may lower the risk to get your important data but not 100% secure as our technology is always evolving at a very fast pace and you need to have basic knowledge on technology.

You can visit the robots.net for the latest technology update to have at least an idea on technology trends. Adopting a few security measures from our end can help us to secure our data and put our mind at ease. It is better to put security protection to our data than having none.