Sometimes the default data encryption offered by cloud services could use a boost to help protect enterprise companies. Here's why.
To secure business data and the sensitive identifiable information of customers, encryption is often pointed to as the best possible security practice. The basic data encryption and standard security features offered by cloud services for enterprise companies are often enough, but even with strong encryption, businesses could still be open to various threats. That’s why it can be a good idea to consider additional layers of cloud data protection. Just like the old saying, you can never be too careful. Here are four reasons why standard cloud data encryption can benefit from a boost in protection.
1) Insider Threats Can Dodge Encryption
The reality today is encryption alone may not guarantee company data’s safety. Encrypted data could be tampered with and swapped around in a database by an untrustworthy admin, triggering an undesirable change. Though uncommon—Snowden would be the most famous example—insiders could access sensitive data from within your ranks, outside the realm of encryption protection. For that reason, cloud service providers may want to perform regular background checks for employees who have access to servers, and frequently keep a lookout for suspicious activity.
2) Attackers With Legit Accounts Can Prepare Malware
The ubiquity of cloud services means there are millions of active users, sending data back and forth like it’s going out of style. The problem could be some of those users are hackers with their own accounts who are busy chipping away at the standard security protocols put in place, including encryption. Motivated attackers can circumvent authentication protocols to get around encryption and insert zero-day malware after they bypass default security. Unfortunately, dealing with hackers is just a fact of cybersecurity. For companies, it’s a never-ending race to stay ahead of attackers and continually update cloud services to bolster malware protection.
3) Some Protective Services Take Too Long or Don’t Work
Some services do offer advanced protection options such as combing through information with a real-time malware analyzer. If any activity or content, like risky file attachments, is found to be suspicious, then it’s quarantined before safety is guaranteed. Often, processes like these only take up to five minutes, but some users could wait up to as much as half an hour, which could result in impatient users skipping entire safety protocols and risking attack. The quarantine analyzer may not recognize an exploit either and let malware in, or create a false positive. Some users can also deal with latency. A third-party solution could help these processes along and help ensure safety.
4) Solid Encryption Key Habits Are Not in Place
Encryption is only part of a data security plan. Consider these good habits: getting rid of inactive cloud service accounts, knowing for sure who has authorized access to company and customer data, and knowing the procedures one must take to gain access. It’s also important to have a flexible encryption key management system. Another good practice: Consider a solution that allows the customer to maintain sole control of the encryption process on premise. eperi CDP renders sensitive data unintelligible while stored or processed in the cloud. This can help to remove many data protection barriers to cloud adoption.
Currently, Cloud Data Protection solutions like the eperi Gateway are one of the best ways to boost the security of services like Office 365 and Salesforce. By offering enterprise-grade data protection, complete with tokenization, encryption, and easy-to use software, enterprise companies can retain control of their encryption keys, so they always have control over who can access their data.
