The most important thing when using cloud services

What is cloud space, and how does it work?

It is enough to examine the speed of technological progress in less than the last half-century; To see a big leap in the digital industry. In recent decades, we have witnessed the emergence of new concepts such as the Internet, which has changed various aspects of human life. One of the relatively new concepts we are dealing with today is cloud storage.

Cloud space has been able to reduce dependence on physical memory and provide clients with a large amount of storage space online.

Cloud storage is exactly the feature that eliminates the need for flash drives, high-capacity hard drives, and information and data storage in physical memory. But what are the features of this new technology?

Is the security of our sensitive data guaranteed in such a memory? What is cloud syncing? What are the benefits of using cloud storage and how should we use it? We will try to answer these questions with a simple statement in the following.

What is cloud storage?

Cloud Storage is a model of cloud computing service (Cloud Computing) that allows you to store data and information in a place outside of physical memory such as computers. You have access to the memories over the Internet.

Cloud computing is a term used to describe the provision of any hosted service on the Internet. Cloud is a type of cyberspace that allows information to be stored and accessed anywhere in the world using the Internet.

The security of the information you transfer to the cloud for storage is the responsibility of your cloud computing service provider. The service provider manages, hosts, and maintains the servers and infrastructure, assuring you that you can access the data quickly whenever you need it.

Studies show that many companies and businesses in the world with the outbreak of coronary heart disease, have increased their budget to provide resources and services on the web, and by 2024 more than 70% of them will use cloud computing services including, PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS they do.

How does the cloud work?

Knowing how to use the cloud is better to get acquainted with how it works. Like corporate on-premise networks, cloud storage uses servers to store data. The only difference is that the data storage in Cloud Storage is servers in a different geographical location.

Most of the servers used by clients through cloud services are virtual machines (VMs) that are hosted on a physical server. This storage space is a cost-effective alternative to all physical memory such as internal and external hard drives and storage networks.

As you know, most people transfer their smartphone information to computers; But computer hard drives also have limited capacity. Organizations traditionally used the Storage Area Network (SAN) to archive their data and files. However, SAN is an expensive choice due to its high maintenance cost.

Cloud storage services now offer the desired flexibility to their clients. This means that different organizations and businesses if they increase the volume of their data, can increase the capacity of the cloud space used and reduce it if necessary.

In this way, as a customer, instead of investing in the construction and maintenance of internal storage space, you can buy the service you want based only on your required capacity. In the meantime, you should also consider the issue of increasing business needs and the need to increase capacity due to the high volume of data.

Businesses around the world are moving to the cloud. There are good reasons for doing this, which we will explain in this article. We will then review the security of cloud systems and provide useful tips that may help secure your customers’ data in the cloud.

Five main advantages of cloud computing

Some of the significant benefits of cloud systems are:

1. Less IT costs but a better experience

Software upgrades and support are critical to its continued operation. Cloud applications do most of the work for you without costing or supporting you as much as traditional software. Cloud software is often based on affordable monthly subscriptions. Another point is that you do not need to hire an expert to maintain these systems.

2. Update faster

Cloud software is always evolving. New features added and bugs fixed as soon as possible. This means that you always have the latest version of the software and do not have to wait a year for the next version.

3. Access from anywhere, anytime

Cloud applications are not installed on a desktop computer. Provided you have an internet connection. You can access your software and data from anywhere. You can also use your laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet for cloud applications.

4. Better business continuity

Power outages, fires, floods, thefts, and earthquakes are potential risks in trade. Companies that use cloud software can recover from a disaster faster than those that have information stored locally. They can get through problems quickly.

5. More agility

Cloud systems are often able to share or integrate data. This means that you can process your information in new and useful ways. For example, cloud accounting software can be integrated with payroll and online attendance software. This means you will better serve your customers and adapt to their needs quickly.

Some basic ways to increase the security of cloud systems

Some users do not have a good experience with cloud systems because they have lost their data. But in almost all cases, it is easy to see that the problem is not with the security of cloud systems. It is often the method of using the cloud that causes problems. Here are five ways you can increase the security of your data:

1. Make sure your passwords are secure

Many people do not use secure passwords, which reduces the security of cloud systems. They may use their pet’s name along with their date of birth or use their child’s name or national code as a password. They may use other combinations that seem smart but are easy to guess. Longer passwords are harder, though they may be a little harder to remember.

Remember that:

• Keep your passwords as random as possible and unrelated to your life.

• Use a different password for each cloud application.

• It may be better to use the phrase pass. Passwords usually have about 20 to 30 characters and are usually harder to crack than passwords.

• You can use password management software to help you remember multiple passwords for different systems and create strong passwords.

2. Use multi-factor authentication

In addition to the need for a username and password to log in, some software offers you multi-factor authentication. These solutions are also called two-factor authentication, two-step authentication, or two-step verification. Multi-factor authentication creates an extra layer of security on your login, which in addition to your standard login, you must provide another factor to verify your identity. This authentication could be a unique code generated by a separate application, service, device, or something else, such as your fingerprint or voice, that reduces the risk of access to your account if the password is compromised.

3. Use online activity monitoring

The next point in cloud systems security is that some cloud applications provide more information on how to use their system. Browse and take advantage of the additional security services they offer. For example, some online services show details of your last login to their service.

4. Use antivirus

(Malware or virus) can enter your computer or smartphone and do things like steal your information. This usually means that you clicked on a link or attachment in an email or visited a website that is not secure. If there is a link or attachment that you suspect, do not click on it.

Once the malware has been installed on your device, it may record your username, password, or credit card information and send it to a hacker. It may quietly take over your computer and use it to attack other machines.

The malware is hidden, so you probably will not notice it. Make sure you have antivirus software installed on your systems, and always make sure your antivirus and other software are up to date.

A hacking method is called phishing, and it happens via email. Most emails contain links that the hacker wants to click. Without training, your employees may give critical security information to hackers.

Finally, cloud data storage can be more secure than data storage at your business location, reducing the risk of loss or theft, and giving you more flexibility and the ability to recover faster than traditional systems.

But nothing alone can be completely safe. How you use everything affects its security.

Remember, a computer without security is an open window for critical data in your business. Make sure all doors are locked.

conclusion

A common misconception is that malware cannot affect cloud equipment and services. But in fact, various types of critical malware have been observed that infect equipment running on VMWare systems. We also need to pay attention to known threats that spread through operating systems.

Having your infrastructure in the cloud does not save you from having to use a comprehensive security solution that includes protecting the servers and services as well as the hardware that the infrastructure has access to.

Of course, cloud services can offer many benefits depending on the business situation and when you decide to transfer your service information to this platform. In any case, do not forget these tips to protect your information and secure your migration as much as possible.

Saeed Souzangar
Network Security Instructure
Founder and CEO at imenaria.org
https://souzangar.com