Protect Your Sensitive Data with NexStep

Is it really necessary to ask if security should be of any concern?  Of course not!  The more important question to ponder on is how those on Cloud platforms can protect their sensitive data.  It is vital to understand that as technology becomes more sophisticated, the more challenging it becomes to detect and fight off threats; especially for growing businesses.

Seriousness of Threats

To put things in context, it is necessary to state that not all businesses are taking threats as serious as they should because of various reasons.  However, there are industry reports that point to the fact that there are still a significant number of companies that are not instituting programs to shield sensitive information from cyber-attacks.  What should be more alarming is that this figure comes at a point where there is as much as 24% increase in the security budget of businesses.

For example, on a global scale, the frequency of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks has been increasing.  To sidestep security protocols, attackers are resorting to shorter durations of attacks.  These are causing significant disruptions on network services that can be enough to camouflage a malware intrusion.  Malware is often used by attackers to steal valuable data and customer information.

Some reports reveal that an average of about 4 DDoS attacks are experienced with malware intrusions on the rise as well compared to figures from the previous year.  This is why the need for a safer and more secure storage of sensitive data becomes imperative.  The ability of service providers to help businesses fight off these attacks now comes into play.

Advanced Security Solutions

Every service provider will present its own version of a security solution.  Some proprietary security features can include:

• Whole disk encryption;
• Vulnerability scanning;
• Intrusion detection; and
• Event and log analysis among others.

Although some customers may not understand outright what these technologies can provide, the bottom line is the protection and compliance they can deliver for Cloud platforms.  Actually, there is no need for businesses to understand the underlying technology.  The more important concern is how these security features can work specifically for their needs.  Any sophisticated security solution would be worthless if it is not tailored to the demands of the business.

It has come to a point where even IT leaders concede the fact that Cloud computing cannot be abandoned.  This is primarily because of the continuing and growing demands of businesses for more scalability, agility, and savings despite potential security risks.  The reality is that the benefits (current and potential) far outweigh any of the security breaches or data loss reported so far.  What should the next step be in easing security fears?

Enhanced Management and Reporting

Many security protocols include reporting of security parameters of their Cloud resources over a specific period.  Rarely however is this feature available on-demand.  This is important because an on-demand security reporting will give businesses outright information on the current security parameter status based on current Cloud workloads.  This type of reporting also helps in security audits that will convince many stakeholders and decision makers how secure and protected their data is.

Another vital thing to consider is the availability of experts to interpret the reports to understand how it relates to compliance with industry requirements.  These experts are qualified to interpret reports, provide supporting documents, and answer questions from auditors on the current security state of the Cloud services.  Industry requirement compliance is essential to accelerate the growth of businesses and move them to a new level where they can reap immense benefits.

The security reporting must be part of an enhanced management system that will benefit even the most security stringent industries like insurance, finance, and healthcare.  With better management and reporting, it becomes easier to deal with threats and attacks looming on the horizon.  This also helps to better equip businesses with the proper security blanket they need to prevent intrusion.

With that in mind, you need to work with a service provider that is capable not only in delivering security and protecting your workload, but also make management and security reporting easier.

Contact NexStep, a secure cloud computing provider that understands the importance of securing all your sensitive data against the cyber attack.