Embracing the cloud has revolutionized how businesses operate, allowing professionals to manage their data from anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, greater convenience introduces more risk.
Data breaches soured in 2024, with over one billion data records exposed worldwide (NordLayer). Digital vulnerability makes it crucial to adopt the finest security practices to fortify your data fortress, safeguarding sensitive information and the trust and privacy of your users.
Top Data Security Best Practices to Boost Cloud Services
Choose A Reputable Cloud Service Provider (CSP)
With so many different CSPs, how do you choose the right cloud provider?
Look for providers that comply with relevant security standards. If you’re looking for a Microsoft Partner, check if they’re listed on Microsoft’s website. Each partner should have a page listing their Solutions Partner designations, competencies, and more.
To get started, check out Trusted Tech’s Partner Page.
Define Responsibilities Between You and Your Providers
While partnering with a cloud provider means security becomes a shared responsibility, it does not mean giving away all of your control. It’s important to note that you should be in control of your environment, not your provider.
A cloud solutions provider is typically responsible for licensing, support, and optional professional services to help you set up and secure your infrastructure. On the other hand, customers are responsible for protecting the data in their environment.
The graphic below shows how the responsibilities of both parties shift as customers move their applications to the cloud.
Nonetheless, ensuring the security of data, devices, and identities always remains the customer’s responsibility.
Deploy a Passwordless Future
While passwords act as the initial defense against unauthorized entry, passwords can be stolen, exposed, or compromised. Strong authentication, such as multifactor authentication, can significantly lower the chance of unauthorized data access. Another effective safeguard is using other methods such as facial recognition, fingerprints, and mobile authentication apps.
Microsoft offers various technologies, such as Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, and FIDO2 Security keys. These approaches can significantly reduce the risk of password theft and cyber attacks.
Evaluate Data Protection and Security
Did you know that 80% of corporate data is unstructured and potentially vulnerable? Known as “dark data,” this information is collected, processed, and stored often for compliance reasons but rarely used for actionable insights and decision-making.
To help users discover sensitive data and prevent data from being accessed and lost, organizations should consider various tools to help identify data and prevent malicious activities.
| Microsoft Tools | Features | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Purview Information Protection | Assists in scanning data stored within Microsoft 365 applications, including SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Teams, as well as in non-Microsoft Cloud apps, on-premises file shares, and SharePoint servers. | Identify sensitive data at rest and automatically apply sensitivity labels to identify data as highly confidential, confidential, or general to protect data. |
| Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention | Aids in averting data loss by detecting and stopping unsafe or improper sharing, transferring, or utilization of sensitive information across cloud platforms, applications, and endpoint devices. | With built-in protection, this solution eliminates the necessity for setting up and upkeeping expensive on-premises infrastructure or agents. |
| Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management | Provides pre-built machine learning models designed to identify and counteract the most crucial data security threats concerning your information. Through Adaptive Protection, entities can automatically customize suitable data loss prevention measures according to a user's risk assessment. In doing so, businesses ensure that the most appropriate policy is enforced solely on high-risk users. In contrast, those with low risk can sustain their productivity. | Increased efficiency and empowerment for your security operations team, allowing them to accomplish more with fewer resources. |
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-based application security platform that merges Cloud Security Posture Management abilities with an integrated data-sensitive security stance and Cloud Workload Protection Platform. Defender aids in thwarting, detecting, and addressing threats, offering enhanced oversight and command over the security of multi-cloud and on-premises resources, like Azure Storage, Azure SQL, and open-source databases.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s AI-enriched cloud security information and event management, Microsoft Sentinel, can reveal intricate threats and automate responses. It serves as a central hub spanning multiple cloud environments, tracking attackers as they navigate different pathways.
Use Secure APIs
Using secure APIs is a fundamental aspect of cloud data security, ensuring that only authorized users and applications can access cloud resources. Strong authentication methods, such as OAuth and API keys, combined with encryption protocols, help protect sensitive data from unauthorized access and data breaches.
Additionally, continuous monitoring and identity and access management controls can detect and prevent data access violations, strengthening the overall security posture of cloud environments.
Conduct Regular Security Assessments
Regular security assessments help maintain a strong cloud security posture by identifying potential data vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them. Through these assessments, either internally performed or via a third-party security expert, you can evaluate your security controls, data access policies, and cloud data protection measures.
With built-in security analytics reports and continuous monitoring, organizations can enhance their cloud security solutions and ensure data in the cloud remains protected against evolving security threats.
Train Your Employees
As human error remains one of the leading causes of data breaches, training your employees is more critical than ever. Educate staff on data security best practices, data protection laws, and how to recognize security threats to prevent unauthorized access and data loss.
Implementing a structured security awareness program, including training on cloud security policies, incident response plans, and access management, ensures employees can actively contribute to securing cloud workloads and protecting the organization's data assets.
Implement Zero-trust principles
Zero Trust principles strengthen cloud security by eliminating implicit trust and continuously verifying access to cloud resources. This approach enhances data protection by enforcing strict authentication, reducing unauthorized access, and limiting the impact of potential security threats.
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Verification: Always authenticate and authorize users and devices before granting access to cloud accounts, ensuring data confidentiality and reducing data access violations.
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Limitations: Implement user access limitations and security controls to prevent unauthorized entry, secure cloud applications, and protect sensitive data stored in cloud environments.
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Assume breach: Reduce the potential impact of a security breach by segmenting cloud workloads, virtual machines, and data flows, ensuring attackers cannot move laterally within the cloud infrastructure.
What’s Next?
As data analytics platforms and cloud computing evolve, the future of data protection demands advanced incident detection and complete visibility across cloud environments. Security teams must stay ahead of emerging data vulnerabilities by leveraging built-in security analytics and maintaining robust cloud security posture management across their cloud infrastructure.
Safeguard Your Sensitive Cloud Data with Trusted Tech Team
Implementing cloud data security is vital for protecting your organization's data assets. With comprehensive cloud data protection solutions and expert guidance, Trusted Tech Team helps you maintain a robust security posture while ensuring data confidentiality. Contact our security teams today to learn how we can strengthen your cloud computing environment.
Ready to start protecting your business? Get a Microsoft 365 Security Assessment today.
