Cloud storage security

Cloud storage security – Encryption, access control and compliance

Cloud storage is a simple, flexible and cost-effective way for businesses to manage their data without having to invest in or maintain the necessary IT infrastructure themselves. Since cloud storage means that your data is stored with your cloud provider rather than locally, it is important that you are aware of the security measures that can be used to protect your cloud data. In this article you will learn more about encryption, role-based access control, compliance and other important security aspects that will 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 that someone unauthorised will gain access to the company's data, for example through a data breach. Today, there is an attempt to breach a company every 11 seconds globally. The primary security measure against data theft or manipulation is encryption. This means that the original data is converted into an unreadable cipher using an encryption algorithm and an encryption key. Even if an unauthorised person were to gain access to the data during a breach, it would be unusable because the 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 it 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, on the other hand, encrypts data when 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 try to access data in network traffic.

Most cloud storage providers today use encryption both at rest and in transit to ensure a high level of 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 persons can access the servers.

Role-based access control restricts access to cloud-stored data

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security method that protects cloud-stored data by organising and restricting 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 certain data related to their work 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 restricts who has access to cloud storage, reducing the risk of unauthorised intrusion and data leaks. RBAC also protects against problems that can occur due to human error, such as accidental changes. In this way, role-based access control also contributes to improved manageability with more effective control over data.

Using role-based access is an important measure for complying with security standards such as GDPR and ISO 27001. This is especially true if access control has 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. The GDPR affects the security of cloud storage by, among other things, imposing requirements for data protection and control against unauthorised access, encryption, mechanisms for detecting and reporting data breaches, and requirements for transparency and data 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 in place to identify, assess and manage security risks associated with cloud storage. The ISO standard sets requirements for access control, encryption, incident management and protection against physical threats. The additional standard ISO 27017 also focuses on security-specific guidelines for cloud storage. These include the responsibilities of the provider and the customer, and the specific risks associated with cloud-based services.

Cloud storage providers that comply with the GDPR and are ISO 27001 certified are bound to maintain and improve cloud storage security by protecting data and managing risks. In this way, compliance is a quality marker for high data security in cloud storage.

Important factors to consider regarding cloud storage security

There was initially scepticism towards 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, as cloud providers work specifically with data storage and transfer. This means they can usually offer higher security than a local system. This also applies to data security relating to backup, firewall protection and protection against other disasters, break-ins or power outages.
However, if you are considering using cloud services, it is important that you review how a provider works with security in its cloud storage services. You can do this by:

Look at the supplier's compliance with regulations and security certifications. For example, GDPR and ISO 27001.
Find out where the data is stored: in the United Kingdom, within the EU or outside Europe? This affects which regulations govern data protection.
What protocols are used, who has control over the encryption keys, and is there end-to-end encryption between sender and recipient?
Does the supplier use role-based access control and multi-factor authentication? Does the supplier log access and actions so that any suspicious activity can be traced?
What is the supplier's incident management and response capability?
What is the physical security like? How are physical access, downtime, disasters, services and storage in the cloud handled?
Can services and storage in the cloud be scaled without compromising security?
What are the provider's policies and references regarding data security?
Most cloud storage services have user settings for access control. Find out how you can control how much others can see about your account. Consider creating your own security policy for how you will handle 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 straightforward Swedish cloud services based at our environmentally friendly data centre in Vallentuna. This means that all data stored with us is handled exclusively within Sweden and is subject to Swedish law and the GDPR. Our ISO 27001 certification guarantees that we meet the highest standards of information security.

We also provide even stronger IT security through our Network Operations Centre (NOC). Our dedicated staff monitor your networks and resources in real time so that they can quickly and efficiently handle incidents and identify and resolve potential problems before they affect your business.