Cloud security: how to secure your data in the cloud

Top concerning risks

Sophos’ report found that some of the most common concerns surrounding cloud security included:

• Malware
• Data Loss
• Identifying and responding to security incidents

However, the report also highlighted the mass risk posed by security misconfiguration and stolen account credentials.

How can you respond to these risks?

Not everyone will choose the same security solutions as organisations are built, and operate, differently. However, a common tool used to defend against data loss is Microsoft 365, with all Microsoft 365 business licenses offering security and compliance tools, and the Business Premium license also offering advanced threat protection. These tools protect against malware threats and allow you to control who has access to certain business information.

Many organisations also choose to utilise the capabilities of a third-party tool to expand upon the security capabilities offered by Microsoft. For example, Sophos Intercept protects PCs and servers from the latest threats, including ransomware, file-less attacks, and server-specific malware. Additionally, using tools such as Datto, organisations can encrypt and back up data outside of the Microsoft Cloud, further minimising the impact of a security breach. Either of these tools offer powerful security capabilities to organisations looking to address these top concerning risks.

Risks you might not be considering

The aforementioned risks and concerns absolutely require action and attention, however, there may be other factors placing your organisation at risk. These include:

• Ineffective management of user permissions
• Lack of staff expertise
• Lack of encryption

How can you respond to these risks?

Microsoft 365 offers a host of security capabilities, these capabilities vary per license (find out more here). Such capabilities include advanced threat protection, which facilitates the control of access to company information and supports the limiting of copying, forwarding, and saving of information.

Third-party applications are also available to increase protection further, such as Sophos Cloud Optix. Cloud Optix allows organisations to manage and secure their Cloud environments implementing guardrails which impede any changes, accidental or malicious, that may impact your security posture.