The adoption of cloud technologies has resulted in organizations accelerating their cloud migration process. But, doing so without taking necessary precautionary measures into account can make organizations vulnerable to the ever-evolving cyber-attacks.
The digital transformation has driven the adoption of cloud computing technologies at an unprecedented rate. In fact, as per a 2021 report from O’Reilly, over 90% of the organizations are using some form of cloud technologies. While the adoption of cloud technologies can assist organizations in streamlining their operations, incorporating it into their enterprise infrastructure is not always a secure process.
One of the biggest challenges for IT and security leaders is to ensure data security across every stage in their cloud migration process. While established cloud vendors can help organizations to simplify their migration process, data security during the cloud migration is the responsibility of the organization undergoing it.
Factors such as misconfiguring cloud services, improper access management, and lack of staff with skills to manage security for cloud applications can make all organizations vulnerable to cyber-attacks. However, security leaders can avoid these mistakes after understanding where they are in their cloud migration process.
A few steps that they can take to ensure a secure cloud migration process include:
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Opt for a phased migration approach
Using a phased migration approach to transfer data can help the security team familiarize the cloud systems. Beginning with low priority data, security teams are in a much better position to unload and free up their storage resources with controlled risk. They can test their configuration and determine any bugs or gaps in their security before transferring confidential data. Additionally, a phased migration involves less time pressure and a slower onboarding of users. Meaning, users are less likely to accidentally leave storage buckets unsecured or grant unnecessary privileges.
Also Read: Three Common Cloud Computing Threats CISOs Need to Be Aware of
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Knowing the type of data they have at their disposal
Before data became the new ‘gold,’ organizations used to treat their data storage as an attic. They usually store data out of sight to save as much space as possible. However, with data becoming a critical part of the success of an organization, organizations must be clear on their data resources.
They should identify whether the data at their disposal conforms to storage and retention policies within their data governance framework. One of the ways to do this is by utilizing data management tools to assist in the process of inventory data. Most cloud vendors often have their own solution to assist. Additionally, there is also a range of paid services available in the market that organizations can use.
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Focus on monitoring
Cloud-connectivity can mean a substantial increase in opportunities for attacks and increase in speed and number. They should account for these threats to protect their existing systems. During the migration process, organizations will have security tools that operate both on-premises and in the cloud. Hence, they should centralize the management and utilize these tools to make it easier for their security team. This can assist them in determining and responding to threats and vulnerabilities more quickly and consistently.
To maximize the effectiveness of their security team, security teams should adopt a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution to centralize alerts and logging. A combination of these features empowers the security team to automate detection and response as well as assist in analyzing attacks.
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