Data security is a priority for all organisations. This is especially true when it comes to cloud storage. Here you can learn more about advanced security measures such as encryption, role-based access control, compliance, and other measures that protect your data in cloud storage environments. You will also receive useful advice on how to determine if a cloud provider maintains a high level of security.
Data security in cloud storage – Encryption, access control and compliance
Cloud storage is a simple, flexible and cost-effective way for companies to manage their data without having to invest in or maintain the required IT infrastructure themselves. Since cloud storage means that your data is stored with your cloud provider instead of locally, it is important that you know what security measures can be used to protect your data in the cloud. Here you can learn more about encryption, role-based access control, compliance, and other important security aspects that help you choose a secure solution for your cloud storage.
Encryption to protect data in cloud storage
Probably the most common security risk in all forms of data storage and management is unauthorised access to the company's data, for example through a data breach. Today, attempts to break into corporate data occur every 11 seconds globally. The primary security measure against data theft or manipulation is encryption. This means that original data is converted into unreadable ciphertext using an encryption algorithm and an encryption key. Even if an unauthorised person gains access to data during a breach, the data would be unusable because encryption ensures that only users with the correct key or authentication can decrypt and read the data.
When it comes to protecting data in cloud storage, there are two methods: encryption at rest and encryption in transit. Encryption at rest means that data is protected on the server or device where the data is stored. Encryption techniques such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and RSA make the data on the server unreadable to anyone without the right key, which protects against data theft. Encryption in transit encrypts data as it is transferred between the cloud service's servers and the user's device. This protection is usually provided by secure transfer protocols such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) and HTTPS. This prevents so-called man-in-the-middle attacks, where attackers attempt to access data in network traffic.
Most cloud storage services today use encryption both at rest and in transit to ensure high data security. In addition, data on servers is protected by security measures such as firewalls that prevent traffic from unauthorised locations, network monitoring that reviews suspicious activity, and physical security measures such as perimeter protection, alarm systems, and strict access control that ensure only authorised personnel can access the servers.
Role-based access control limits access to cloud-stored data
Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security method that protects cloud-stored data by organising and limiting access to cloud resources. As the name suggests, access is based on roles rather than individual permissions. In practice, this means that each user's access to resources and functions is based on the role they have in the organisation. For example, certain roles may only have permission to read specific data related to their tasks. This means that a developer role may have permission to create and modify data, while an administrator role has permission to create, modify and delete data as well as change other users' access.
This type of access control limits who has access to cloud storage, reducing the risk of unauthorised intrusion and data leakage. RBAC also protects against issues that may arise due to human error, such as unintentional changes. In this way, role-based access control also contributes to improved manageability with more efficient control over data.
Using role-based access is an important measure to meet security standards such as GDPR and ISO 27001. This is especially true if the access control includes strong authentication methods such as multi-factor authentication or biometric login.
Compliance for cloud storage
Security standards such as GDPR and ISO 27001 play an important role in maintaining high security in cloud storage. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the world's strictest security laws and is designed to ensure that individuals' data protection rights are respected. GDPR impacts security in cloud storage in several ways, including requirements for data protection and control against unauthorised access, encryption, mechanisms to detect and report data breaches, as well as requirements for transparency and data protection sovereignty.
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for data protection and security that specifies requirements for information security. A cloud service provider certified according to ISO 27001 can demonstrate that it has security measures to identify, assess and manage security risks associated with cloud storage. Among other things, the ISO standard requires access control, encryption, incident management, and protection against physical threats. The supplementary standard ISO 27017 also focuses on security-specific guidelines for cloud storage. These include the responsibilities of the provider and customer as well as the particular risks associated with cloud-based services.
Cloud storage providers who comply with GDPR and are ISO 27001 certified are obliged to maintain and improve cloud storage security by protecting data and managing risks. In this way, compliance is a mark of quality for high data security in cloud storage.
Important things to consider regarding data security in cloud storage
Initially, there was scepticism about cloud services due to concerns that the cloud could not offer sufficient data protection. However, the truth is that today's cloud providers usually have access to much better data protection than most other companies because cloud providers work specifically with data storage and transfer. This means they can often offer greater security than a local system. This also applies to data security related to backup, fire protection, and protection against other disasters, burglaries or power outages. If you are considering using cloud services, it is important to check how a provider works with security in its cloud storage services. You can do this by:
- Checking the provider's compliance with regulations and security certifications, such as GDPR and ISO 27001.
- Finding out where data is stored: in Sweden, within the EU or outside Europe. This affects which rules govern data protection.
- Reviewing how the provider encrypts data at rest and in transit. Which protocols are used, who controls the encryption keys, and is there end-to-end encryption between sender and receiver?
- Does the provider use role-based access control and multi-factor authentication? Does the provider log access and actions so that suspicious activity can be traced?
- What is the provider's incident management and response capability?
- What does the physical protection look like? How is physical access managed, downtime, disasters, services and cloud storage?
- Is it possible to scale services and storage in the cloud without compromising security?
- What policies and references does the provider have regarding data security?
- Most cloud storage services have user settings for access control. Find out how you can control how much others can learn about your account. We recommend that you create your own security policy for how to manage access and data protection.
How Binero protects your data in cloud storage
Our cloud services are designed to support rapid development without compromising security or data integrity. Whether you want to use your own servers or run your applications in a public cloud, we offer secure and simple Swedish cloud services based on our environmentally friendly data centre in Vallentuna. This means that all data stored with us is managed exclusively within Sweden and governed by Swedish legislation and GDPR. Our ISO 27001 certification guarantees that we meet the highest requirements for information security.
We can also offer even stronger IT security through our Network Operations Centre (NOC). There, our dedicated staff monitor your networks and resources in real time so they can quickly and efficiently handle incidents and identify and address potential problems before they affect your business.
Please contact us if you want to learn more about IT security in cloud storage!
