Many organisations still think that data protection is the responsibility of their cloud provider – it isn’t!
You are mistaken if you assume that your cloud provider will handle all aspects of data protection, including backing up and recovering the data. This is a dangerous mindset because it can lead to a false sense of security. It’s like thinking that because the supermarket is convenient and offers a wide variety of items, it guarantees the safety of all its food products.
Just as it’s your responsibility to check expiration dates and make sure you’re buying products that won’t make you ill, it’s your responsibility as a cloud customer to ensure you’re using the service wisely and protecting yourself from potential disaster.
While cloud providers do take steps to protect their customers’ data, it is ultimately the customer’s responsibility to ensure that their data is backed up, secure, and recoverable. The cloud provider cannot control all factors that could lead to data loss, such as user error, hardware failure, natural disaster, or malicious attack.
You must implement proper security measures to protect your data in the cloud. Here are three strategies to ensure the security of your data, even if your cloud provider experiences a disaster.
Do your due diligence
Ask your cloud provider several vital questions to ensure it can deliver security and continuity for your business. For starters, what measures does the provider have in place for business continuity and disaster recovery? What are the service-level standards for uptime? For example, is the service designed to be operational 99% or 99.999% of the time?
It’s also important to ask whether the provider offers data backup services. If so, are they included in the subscription, or do you need to secure additional coverage through a third-party partner? Also, how straightforward is it to switch to a different cloud provider if necessary?
Have a backup plan
A good backup and recovery plan is essential to protect your data in the event of a disaster, whether natural or man-made. Part of your plan should involve simulating a business disruption to test and assess your ability to recover. It’s also important to regularly test your backup images to identify and fix any potential issues before they occur. In a disaster, it is critical to ensure that the backed-up data is available and can be quickly restored.
Demand immutability
When you evaluate cloud providers, make sure that the provider you choose offers immutable storage. Immutability is a type of data storage in which, once data is written, it cannot be modified or deleted. Any changes to the data must be made by writing new data rather than by altering or deleting existing data. Immutable storage protects data integrity and ensures that data remains unchanged over time.
In the case of a ransomware attack, for example, attackers may attempt to encrypt or delete data to disrupt a system’s operation or demand a ransom for the decryption of the data. The attackers cannot alter or delete the data if the organisation uses immutable storage. The company can use it to recover from the attack even if the attackers successfully encrypt or delete other data.
Similarly, in the case of a system outage, immutable storage can be helpful because it enables organisations to access a copy of their data. It can be essential in cases where the outage occurs due to a hardware or software failure, as it may be difficult or impossible to access the data stored on the affected system.
Immutability is a must-have for any cloud provider. Selecting a cloud provider without immutable storage is like renting a car without a spare tire. Without it, you leave yourself vulnerable to data loss or corruption from external threats or system failures.
Final takeaway
The abundance of vital documents, records, and communications now stored in the cloud means that data loss is not an option. Organisations must back up all mission-critical data and ensure it is fully recoverable. However, it is also essential to understand that your cloud provider is not responsible for safeguarding your data. In the realm of data protection in the cloud, it is wise to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. A solid plan will ensure that you’re ready for any eventuality.a
