Securely encrypted in the cloud: Cloud Encryption. Encryption is one of the most effective approaches to data security. With encryption and secure management of encryption keys, companies can ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data.
Even in the event of loss, theft or unauthorized access, encrypted data is illegible and essentially unusable without its key. Cloud storage providers enable cloud encryption services to encrypt data before it is transferred to the cloud for storage. Typical cloud encryption applications range from encrypted connections and encrypting sensitive data to end-to-end encryption of all data that is uploaded to the cloud. With these models, cloud storage providers encrypt the data as it is received and pass the encryption keys on to their customers so that the data can be securely decrypted if necessary.
Cloud encryption is especially important for industries that have to comply with government regulations. In combination with other security measures, encryption enables companies to meet the strict compliance requirements, for example in the financial or healthcare sectors, and to defend themselves proactively against data breaches and cyber attacks.
Cloud encryption challenge
One of the biggest challenges with encryption is the fact that, despite its effectiveness for data security, it is not being used adequately. Encryption increases costs for cloud storage providers (and ultimately their customers) because of the additional bandwidth required to encrypt data before it is transferred to the cloud. As a result, many providers are restricting their cloud encryption services, and some cloud storage customers are therefore encrypting their data themselves on-premises before it is transferred to the cloud.
Cloud Encryption Best Practices
1. Check encryption requirements
Tim Bandos, Chief Information Security Officer at Digital Guardian
Before deciding on a cloud storage provider, companies should first check their security requirements for the cloud provision and all data that is to be moved to the cloud. You should determine which data should be encrypted and choose a cloud provider that offers sufficient encryption.
For example, a marketing team that uses cloud storage for graphics and videos typically only needs to encrypt their account credentials, not all of the data uploaded to the cloud. Engineers and manufacturers who use cloud storage services to share source code or design documents, on the other hand, need cloud providers with end-to-end encryption. As a bare minimum, companies should choose cloud providers that use HTTPS to ensure that all connections are encrypted.
2. Always encrypt sensitive data in advance
Whenever possible, sensitive data to be uploaded to the cloud should be encrypted on site before uploading. This ensures that the data in the cloud is safe even if the account or cloud storage provider is compromised.
3. Encryption key management
The secure management of both the company's keys and all keys provided by a cloud provider is also crucial. Encryption keys should be stored separately from the encrypted data to ensure data security. Key backups should also be kept outside the company and checked regularly. Other best practices for encrypting keys include updating the keys on a regular basis, especially when they expire automatically. Some companies choose to encrypt keys themselves, but in some cases this can add unnecessary complexity. Another best practice for key management is to implement multi-factor authentication for both the master and recovery keys.
While cloud encryption poses a number of challenges, it is a necessity for data security. If companies take the time to review their cloud requirements and plan for secure cloud usage, they can take full advantage of cloud storage and computing without exposing their data to unnecessary risk.
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