Top Backup Strategies to Ensure Data Security On Cloud

Top Backup Strategies to Ensure Data Security on Cloud | Zmanda

Did you know that, as per Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, external cloud assets are the target in 90% of cyber-attacks involving data theft.1

Have you been confronted with challenges in implementing data security on cloud yet? Every enterprise does at some point. These challenges have become essential one that needs to be addressed and requires consistent time and resources.

It is always recommended that enterprises protect their data by storing it in multiple locations across clouds and on-site. Also, with increased data privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), complexities have increased. In this blog post, you will learn what is data security and why it matters to you.

What Is Data Security in Cloud?

Data security in the cloud comprises strategies and technologies designed to secure cloud computing systems against threats. Cloud security is quite different from the security used in an on-premise setup. In addition, the responsibility of cloud security falls both on the vendor and the client. This shared function is known as ‘The Shared Responsibility Model.’

What is data security on cloud? | Zmanda

Data Privacy Vs Data Security

Cloud Disaster Recovery
Traditional Disaster Recovery

Data privacy involves how information is collected, stored, and used.

Data security involves securing information against unauthorised access and alteration.

Data privacy cannot be achieved without data security.

Data security can be achieved without data privacy.

History

Decades ago, legacy backup approaches were designed for a slow-moving world based on physical infrastructure. Remote locations and new technologies were added with increasing requirements for more complete data backup strategies. Compared to other large industries, backup is always the last to evolve. This trend often leads to insufficient processes in managing data in the cloud, specifically when data spans multiple clouds. It's compulsory to understand key backup issues and take required actions to keep data secure on the cloud or data safe before a disaster strikes. Even data centre security is also important as they are a part of the backup and recovery processes.

Consistency, reliability, data control, scalability, and ease of use are a few fundamental requirements of an effective backup system. Therefore, it's time enterprises take the initiative to modernize their backup systems. By modernizing backup systems enterprises will simplify their operations. In addition, they will eliminate unmanageable costs, protect against data security threats, ensure rapid data recovery, and establish reliable practices across all data environments.

Is Data Safe in the Cloud?

Cloud computing has made accessing data incredibly simple, but its security is a different story altogether. Thankfully, larger cloud service vendors leverage thoughtful security measures to protect their clients. These measures include installing the latest security updates on time, firewalls, penetration testing, etc.  So, data in the cloud is pretty safe compared to your home computer.

 To better secure your data in the cloud, you can upload only encrypted data to the cloud. So even if the cloud account is hacked, cybercriminals will not be able to use the data as it is encrypted.  

 For dependable data security in the cloud and to have stable operations, easy data accessibility, and protection without any hiccups, you need the four important backup strategies below:

1. Be Future Ready

Technology evolves day by day, and so do the business models and customer demands. So it's paramount to stay a step ahead in terms of expectations and needs. Many companies often put their data at risk to keep up with competitors and customer expectations. Many think it's better to move it to the cloud with increasing data. But before you transit the data storage to the cloud, ask yourself the below-listed questions:

  1. Where is your data stored currently? Where are you planning to move it?

     2. Who can access this data? Is it secured?

     3. Can you recover the data? If yes, how much will the backup cost?

Be future ready for data security on cloud | Zmanda

The extended protection of backup and archive copies is necessary with the increasing demands of regulatory compliance. Thus, the data backup system needs to be flexible enough to scale up or down when the business needs changes.

2. Contemplate the Effects of Not Having Backup

Data backup is more than just protection; it is insurance against business loss. But then why do some organizations not utilize backup support? The cost of the backup system can be one of the reasons. So what about business disruptions? Aren't they costly? For instance, downtime leads to employee productivity degradation; it also puts business integrity and intellectual property at risk. Compared to all of these, the cost of an effective backup system will look minimal.

Enterprise-class backup tools are a must to provide large volume data recovery. Without it, no matter where the data is, there will be prolonged downtime for the business, including SaaS offerings like Office 365. Thus, it's mandatory to maintain a reliable level of backup and evaluate the consequences that your organization could face if you failed to secure your business against data loss.

3. On-Premises or Multi-Cloud- Create Business Continuity for All Data

Universal data protection is essential to create a data management and backup strategy that controls and protects data no matter where it resides, including data network security. Never make assumptions or conclude that cloud applications and SaaS data are protected without doing the necessary research. Ensure all cloud data is properly backed up and compatible with your backup style. Conduct timely audit trials to ensure the same.

Data audit trails can track who created a copy, where it was accessed, and for how long. This move ultimately provides you with complete control and tracking capabilities of your most important data. Backup styles were easier to navigate and streamline in the past, as all data was stored on-premises and accessible through a single tool. Today, companies use multiple tools to view and access data, complicating initiating a business continuity plan.

4. Ensure a Cohesive Approach

It's mandatory to have a backup system that can create a cohesive and centralized backup style without depriving your business of security. Legacy systems are costly, unproductive, and ultimately unable to protect cloud data. A solution to this outdated backup system would be to reduce the complexity of the process and ensure the proliferation of data copies in control. However, data silos, replication technologies, and separate systems have created independent and unsecured copies without central visibility or control over time. As a result, data copies of business-critical databases created for test and development purposes are at risk in most organizations.

Benefits of Data Security in the Cloud

  • Affordability: Using the cloud to store your data saves you money right from the beginning as you need not buy any storage media. In addition to it, you save much money in terms of operational costs and security costs as the vendor will handle data security in the cloud and other operations for you.

Affordability of data security on cloud | Zmanda

  • Scalability: Cloud data security scales according to your cloud service needs. This scalability is possible thanks to the centralized characteristic of cloud security. You will never need to worry about the underutilization of infrastructure.
  • Enhanced accessibility:  Cloud data security will ensure that only authorized employees can access the company data anytime. Usage of a separate data security software just for authentication is not needed. The improved accessibility will even aid you in taking timely action in dealing with security issues.
  • Improved response time: With the cloud service vendor’s security team monitoring the network 24x7, any attacks are dealt with in time by the experts. This shortened response time will minimize the damage caused by network threats.


Wrapping-up!

The steps mentioned above will make an efficient and effective system. Just like healthcare data security is a key element of HIPAA rules, your data security is an important aspect of your business performance. When the cloud changes the whole data landscape by substituting more difficult legacy implementations, it's understood that implementing backup solutions and having data security on the cloud is necessary. Deploying data security software together with data security services can enhance your business security significantly. However, to ensure protection against all threats with the new possibilities that the cloud provides, it's important to maintain a level of understanding across the multi-layered backup environment. This understanding is crucial for implementing robust data security in the cloud.

 

Reference Links:

  1. Cloud security statistics that will reshape your perspectives 2021

  2. Data Management, Testing Keys to Success of Cloud Backup Services. \"SearchDataBackup, searchdatabackup.techtarget.com/tip/Data-management-testing-keys-to-success-of-cloud-backup-services."\

  3. Oliver, Jordan. \"4 Reasons Why Businesses Need to Regularly Back Up Information.\"
    Dobson Technologies, 25 Jan. 2019, News — Dobson Fiber .

  4. Lipika. \"Top 7 Reasons Why It Is Important to Backup Your Files from Cyber Attacks.\"
    ZNetLive Blog - A Guide to Domains, Web Hosting & Cloud Computing, 5 June 2018, www.znetlive.com/blog/top-7-reasons- why-it-is-important-to-backup-your-files-in-todays-age-of-cyberthreats/.

  5. \"Cloud-Based Backup: Best Strategies and Practices.\"
    SearchDataBackup, Cloud-based backup: Best strategies and practices .

  6. Showers, Mat. \"Four Important Backup Strategies to Help Resolve the Data Backup Dilemma.\"
    Disaster Recovery Journal, www.drj.com/articles/online-exclusive/four-important-backup-strategies-to-help-resolve-the-data-backup-dilemma.html.


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