Most businesses put security at the forefront of their operations, especially if they handle a lot of data. One of the solutions they’re seeking is cloud solutions. These have many benefits, from security to remote data access. Based on this, providers are looking for ways to offer cloud computing services to clients. One such provider is Amazon.
Amazon has developed Amazon Web Services (AWS), which offers business owners cloud services. AWS offers Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). AWS eliminates the need for entrepreneurs to get individual software for their needs. They can get these services on AWS after registration and payment.
Like any other investment in your business, you want to ensure security. How can you enhance security in the AWS environment?
Here’s how to do it:
1. Adopt Multifactor Authentication
As a business, you handle a lot of data, each of which varies with regard to sensitivity. There’s data anyone in your company can access; and there’s those that only a few, especially those in top management, can access.
The best AWS security tools allow you to adopt multifactor authentication to protect sensitive data. Here, the system will require login details and further authentication through an email, biometrics, or a code. Only those with these details can gain access, protecting your sensitive data.
2. Categorize Data
As previously stated, you might be handling data that require different security levels. When you create an AWS account, it’ll hold your data without categorization. You creating one password for all this data might not be safe enough. A breach can expose all your data, even sensitive ones.
Therefore, it’s best to categorize data depending on the sensitivity. Doing so will help you adopt the right security measures for each. You can adopt advanced security measures for sensitive data and less advanced ones for general data. Some of the data you can categorize under sensitive is customer information. In contrast, software data can fall under the less sensitive ones.
3. Use Strong Passwords
When handling data, it’s often advisable to hold them in password-protected folders. It prevents unauthorized access. However, passwords will only protect your data if they’re strong.
A strong password contains characters, symbols, numbers, and letters. Such a password is challenging to guess. Be sure to ask your workers to use such passwords for their AWS accounts. However, it’s best to be wary when doing this. Strong passwords with different characters tend to be lengthy and easy to forget. Therefore, ask your team to write their passwords and store them in secure places. Most people tend to write their passwords on pieces of paper and then place them under their laptops. That’s far from the definition of secure. The cloud is an example of a secure place.
Also, as you adopt these passwords, be sure to change them regularly. It reduces the possibility of breaches should a third party get wind of a given password.
4. Monitor Your Systems
Adopting AWS and the relevant security systems isn’t enough. It’s important to monitor your systems actively; remember, prevention is better than cure.
There are different ways to monitor your systems. One, scan for the vulnerabilities of your AWS accounts. You can look for a checklist online to use for the scanning. It’ll ensure a thorough process.
Alternatively, you can hire a security provider to check your systems regularly. AWS also has security solutions you can adopt for these needs.
Install antimalware and adopt cybersecurity as a prevention measure. It’ll prevent access to your AWS cloud accounts.
5. Back Up Your Data
Even as you aim to enhance the security of your AWS environment, it’s advisable to prepare for the worst. You don’t want a breach to happen; you could lose all your data and would have to go back to square one. Therefore, it’s important to back up your data.
You can back up this data on the cloud or in a hard copy. However, it’d help to adopt both options for extra security measures. Be sure to store the hard copy safely, free from physical damage or theft.
6. Encrypt Your Data
Since breaches might still occur even with security measures in place, data encryption is another way to protect your data after a breach.
Here, you’ll code your data such that anyone with unauthorized access can’t understand the message. It protects your data. Only an encryption key can decode the data, which you should also store safely. Also, limit those with access to the encryption key for additional security.
Conclusion
Amazon Web Services is an added advantage to your business. It helps you run your operations at minimal costs since you won’t need to invest in several software. However, like any other investment, it shouldn’t put your business at a security risk. The discussion above gives a guide on practices to adopt as you’re in the AWS environment. Be sure to implement them to protect your data and business.
