Best Practices to Strengthen Your Cloud Application Security

Why Cloud Security Demands Attention?

As more businesses have started relying on cloud computing platforms, they are becoming the prime target of hackers. If we look at global stats, more than 90% of businesses are using such platforms. That means there are tons of sensitive data on the cloud. 

What’s shocking is not all of the data is secured. According to Thales' 2023 report on Cloud Security Study, only 45% of the sensitive cloud data is encrypted. 

However, failing to encrypt cloud data is not the only reason behind growing cyberattacks and data breaches. Around 50% of the businesses see cloud as a complex platform. They face data privacy and compliance challenges. 

These challenges give rise to several security issues making it easy for hackers to do their business. 

A few major and most common cloud application security issues they face are: 

1. Cloud misconfigurations
2. Insecure APIs
3. Insider threats
4. Unencrypted data storage
5. Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks

Also Read: Hybrid Cloud Strategies and Challenges for Modern Businesses

Here’s What Businesses Can Do to Ensure Cloud Application Security

1. Enforce MFA

Multiple people in your organization would be using the cloud application. Therefore, it is important to ensure that only authorized persons can access it. This will keep your data safe. 

Multi-factor authentication or MFA is the best security practice to follow.  It makes a user go through multiple verification methods like password or biometric authentication. Each verification method adds a layer of protection ensuring only the right person reaches to the end. 

2. Use Cloud-Native Security Tools

Different types of cloud security solutions like cloud access security brokers (CASB)not only protect your application but the entire cloud environment. They sit between the cloud service user and provider and monitor all the incoming and outgoing traffic. 

If anything violates the corporate policy, CASB blocks it immediately ensuring every access is within regulations. Maintaining compliance, protecting data, access management, and improving cloud visibility are the major functions of CASB. 

3. Encrypt Every Data

Data encryption is one of the best security practices for cloud applications. It's secure data at every stage, at rest, in transit, or use. Here is how it works:

When data is at rest: Data is encrypted in the initial stage itself when it is stored on the internal systems. A cloud service provider or the user can manage the encryption keys. 

When data is moving: Here the data is encrypted while it moves from internal systems or applications to the cloud. HTTPS, SSL/TLS, and VPNs are a few communication protocols used to protect the data while transferring. 

When data is in use: Data is most vulnerable at this stage. Using IAM or role-based access control data is protected even when in use. This is called client-side encryption. 

4. Implement Zero Trust Model

The zero-trust approach is one of the best security practices for cloud applications. It says, “Never trust, always verify.” Every access or communication, even the admin activities, should be monitored and authenticated.

5. Do Penetration Testing

Testing your cloud application regularly is crucial for their security. By doing penetration testing, you can ensure a deeper level of security. It tests the applications on real-world scenarios of hacking as these tests are performed by ethical hackers. 

They check how secure your cloud applications are and also identify the loopholes through which real hackers can enter. Fix those loopholes and security issues to protect your applications. 

Partner with a Cloud App Development Partner

Make your cloud application secure throughout the development lifecycle by partnering with an expert cloud app development company. 

They follow secure standard practices to design, develop, and configure cloud resources such as virtual machines or databases.  

By conducting automated scans and performing vulnerability assessments before and after deploying the application, they ensure the holistic security of your cloud application. 

Conclusion

The increase in usage of cloud computing platforms has doubled the attack surface. By solely relying on the service provider for the cloud application security, you are putting your business at risk. Therefore, it is important to invest in various types of cloud application security solutions and follow the best practices.