For modern businesses, using cloud computing and storing important business information in a cloud-based format just makes sense. This way of saving and organizing your data frees up space on your computer or other device and gives others within your organization access to relevant documents.
However, there have been many cases in the past few years of data breaches on cloud-based platforms. For business owners, this can be a scary thought. It’s vital for the success of your company to keep your sensitive information confidential. So to ensure that your data stays secure when using cloud functionality, here are 3 tips for protecting information stored on the cloud.
Encrypt Your Information
In order to keep your information saved on the cloud as safe as you can, you should consider encrypting any data you don’t want to be easily accessible. Making sure your data is encrypted will not only keep your information safe, but it will also protect your company’s reputation for security. Tim Maliyil, a contributor to HealthcareITNews.com, also explains that encryption is easy to accomplish and much cheaper than fines you may have to pay as a result of your data leaking.
Passwords, Passwords, Passwords
Having good passwords is a huge part of keeping your online information protected. Common passwords or passwords that are easy to guess put your data in a very vulnerable position. To ensure your passwords are protecting your information the way they should be, Boston University’s IT Department recommends making your passwords longer rather than shorter, having your password for any cloud platform be different from any other password you use for other applications, and never sharing your password with anyone.
By taking these simple precautions with your passwords, your password protected information will be harder to crack into by those looking to steal data or use your secure information for devious purposes.
Keep Your More Sensitive Data Offline
As a good rule of thumb, Larry Alton, contributor to Entrepreneur.com, advises cloud storage users to keep their ultra important and very sensitive information offline to ensure that there is no chance of it getting broken into. Alton states that when you put your information on the cloud, you’re making the security of that information the responsibility of a third party, taking some of the control of that data out of your own hands. But if that data is vital to the welfare and functionality of your business, you may not want to trust that information to anyone other than yourself.
While cloud-based storage is a great way to store your information, you need to take the proper precautions to ensure that your data is protected from prying eyes. By implementing the three tips above, you can rest assured knowing you’re doing all you can to keep your business information safe.
Originally posted on June 21, 2015 @ 8:41 pm