Cloud access is more than simply convenient in today's business world. It's an imperative that consumers expect. The problem is that cloud security has more potential access points than the laptops and desktops of earlier computer generations. That translates to more potential security holes. Here are three ways to protect cloud user accounts from compromise.
Enforce Complex Passwords
Small businesses love cloud computing due to the financial benefits such services offer. It's effectively wholesale pricing for major computational needs. Customers gain access to services they couldn't afford to buy piecemeal, but this causes problems. Many cloud users don't understand the imperative of avoiding zombie accounts. These members own compromised accounts that give hackers points of ingress into an otherwise secure cloud service.
The most efficient way to prevent zombie accounts is via password protection. A recent experiment revealed that the average password is less than ten characters long. Users also rarely use characters and numbers unless the system dictates that they do so. To secure your cloud service, the most important step is to require complex passwords using a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and characters.
Embrace Encryption
Another way to secure your servers is via encryption. Make certain that all people who sign up for your service understand the importance of such security. Point out that Google requests that their users add encryption to their data. As Google notes, potential hackers have no way to view the contents of encrypted data. Anything transmitted in an unsecured fashion, on the other hand, is susceptible to outside observation.
People smart enough to use cloud services are also intelligent enough to understand a situation so obvious. The difference between unencrypted and encrypted data is the difference between potential robbery and a locked door. As with a regular home, that extra bit of security is ordinarily enough to dissuade potential criminals.
Encourage Smart Choices
Clients will use multiple cloud services. They need tutelage to understand that simply by utilizing a less reputable entity, they're endangering themselves as well as the other businesses they frequent. That's because a hacker will oftentimes gain access to all their other passwords the instant they gain control of an account. That's one of the underlying dangers of zombie accounts.
For this reason, each cloud service needs to understand its own vulnerabilities, many of which customers cause themselves. The best way to do this is by using a cloud-based security system. A reputable product like Skyhigh Threat Protection provides notifications when a user account behaves in an unusual way, thereby hinting that it's compromised.
This sort of real-time alert is oftentimes the difference between a minor irritation that requires upgraded security measures versus a devastating computer attack. The latter scenario can cost lots of money, a great deal of resources, and many man-hours to resolve. People who use preventive cloud security services save themselves money in the long run.
Compromised cloud accounts are problematic. You can take steps to prevent them or at least lessen their impact, though. Simply follow the three steps above to safeguard your accounts.
