With advancements in the world of technology, companies and businesses incorporate various technologies into their business model. Among them are cloud service providers that have assisted companies immensely. Companies can improve and transform their processes and functionalities with secured data access in the cloud. Therefore, a decent cloud service provider will help companies move their business faster.
How Does Cloud Access Security Work?
A cloud access security service will provide visibility and control over threats and data in the cloud to help companies meet their security requirements. It involves 3 basic steps:
- Discovery
The system will use auto-discovery to create a list of the third-cloud services and the individuals.
- Classification
Once the full extent of the usage is revealed, the system will identify the risk level with each of them and the data shared.
- Remediation
Once the risk is identified, the system will set the data and user access policy to ensure utmost security.
While opting for a suitable cloud security access control is an optimal option, checking a few security measures before purchasing one is important.
5 Checklists for Security When Selecting A Secure Cloud Access Service Provider
Here are 5 things to check when you’re selecting a secure cloud access service provider:
- Security and compliance integration
When selecting a cloud service provider, security and compliance are crucial aspects that you must consider. You choose cloud access security that meets the global compliance requirements validated by a third-party organization. It would be optimal if you opted for a secure cloud strategy that follows the best practices in the industry for cloud security and holds a recognized certificate. If you’re working in a highly regulated industry, you will also have to select a provider with an industry-specific certification. To ensure your compliance is efficient and cost-effective, the cloud service provider must provide you with the ability to inherit the security controls into your programs with ease.
- Authentication and identity
The cloud access security you choose must ensure that the service interface is restricted to authenticated and authorized users. When looking through the different options, you must choose one that offers you authentication and identity features, including username and password features.
Securing access to cloud services must also include TLS client certificates, two-factor authentication, etc., to ensure a secure network. It would help if you also checked whether they restrict access to a dedicated line, community network, or enterprise. A decent provider only delivers authentication through protection channels to protect themselves from interception. Weak authentication practices may expose your systems to unauthorized access, leading to data theft, service denial, etc.
- Data protection in transit and rest
When you’re opting for a secure cloud strategy for your business, a crucial element is security and data protection when it’s moving between you and the provider. A decent amount of network protection is needed for preventing data interception and encryption. Therefore, it would be better to select a service provider that offers you a group of tools that allow you to encrypt your data in rest and transit. This ensures a similar level of protection for internal data transmission inside the cloud service provider.
- Asset protection
When selecting a cloud service provider, you must learn about the location where your data is stored, processed, and managed. To ensure your assets are protected, good providers offer advanced physical protection in the data center to defend your data from unauthorized access.
- Control and visibility
You must have control over your data and access it according to your needs and necessities. Good service providers will offer you a solution that offers you full visibility of the data and who is accessing the data, irrespective of where you are. For example, companies like InstaSafe offer their InstaSafe cloud security with a Single Pane Management Console to monitor traffic.
Conclusion
Buying cloud access security can be quite beneficial for your company. However, you must learn about a few security features of the system before purchasing it. For instance, you must check the system’s authentication, identity, control, and visibility features. Keeping these features in mind during the purchase will help you buy a suitable system for yourself.
