How to develop an effective cloud security plan

The frenetic technology of cloud computing has created ripples in the IT world with its unparalleled flexibility, agility, and economies of scale. In fact, companies spanning different verticals are considering migrating their IT resources to the cloud; however, security remains the number one concern for many businesses. Today, companies allied to their conventional computing model admit security as one of the main barriers that restrict them from entering the world of the cloud.

This article clarifies some tips that can help develop an effective cloud security plan:

Secure your business goals: It goes without saying that your cloud security strategy will only be successful if you know where you are and where you want to be. In a nutshell, basic understanding of your business goals is a must. You really need to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution as every company has its own security and compliance needs. You need to focus on:

Technology: A smorgasbord of security solutions must be leveraged to safeguard, monitor, and report access to confidential and sensitive business resources. From authentication to authorization and reporting to monitoring, the technologies need to be introduced in the right place.

Strategies: Strategies must be developed in a way that explicitly connotes everything from resource provisioning to problem management; from account creation to incident management. And acceptable use policies must be practiced to grant access to data and information.

Experts: It’s important that you have access to the right talent and experience to design your cloud security plan that truly aligns with business goals.

Based on market trends, a large number of organizations are considering internal security and compliance. You need to ensure that everyone involved in developing your cloud security plan has a comprehensive understanding of your business goals and strategies.

Suggestion: An astute way to create influential security plans is to get input from various departments, starting with senior management, human resources, sales teams, and stakeholders. These inputs will help ensure that the designed strategy aligns with your business goals and is clear-headed.

Create a disaster recovery plan:

No business is immune from attack. Disasters can affect your business at any time. Therefore, it is important to create a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, and it should be well documented and easily accessible to stakeholders. A disaster recovery plan not only prevents data breaches, but also fosters long-term business strategies.

Note: An organization that has capabilities and strategies in place can identify and reduce the dangers associated with the implementation of new products, technologies, people, and vendors. It is important that proper analysis is carried out to build the necessary controls and audit capabilities within defined budgets.

Create a security plan that supports business objectives

Once you’ve determined your business goals and created your DR strategy, now create a security plan that includes goals and adheres to regulatory and compliance mandates. By choosing a reliable cloud service provider, an organization becomes agile and can quickly change its security plans to support emerging market demands.

Create security policies: It is important to create security policies and procedures to stay productive and relevant to market standards.

Determine best practices and implement them to create your policies.

Create procedures that match your organizational structure

Read industry standards for better interpretation and implementation

In this regard, an efficient cloud hosting provider can help you create security policies and procedures that truly align with your business goals.

Carry out periodic audits: Once your security plan is in place, regular audits are recommended to report on achievements, including company-wide compliance levels. You can also opt for a professional audit as it will provide an unbiased review of your organization. Today, in most sectors, audits are mandatory and companies are obliged to carry out internal audits every quarter, when they publish their financial statements.

Note: It is important for companies to understand the importance of regular audits, as they help not only determine compliance with relevant needs, but also protect company resources from unwarranted attacks.

Also, if you don’t want your security plans to become outdated over time, monitor market standards and review your security plans. Continual review is the key to a successful security plan. Review your safety plan once or twice a year. Edit procedures and plans to meet your business goals. Keeping these tips in mind will help you create a secure cloud plan that meets your organization’s security goals and needs.

Last but not least, partner with a cloud hosting service provider that owns and manages a state-of-the-art data center and has deep-rooted industry experience to meet the demands of diverse businesses spanning different industries. Also, make sure the facility maintains high resiliency and adheres to strict security policies.