As more companies move to the cloud and let their employees work remotely, the risks from cyberthreats are getting bigger and more complex. This big change means companies need a strong plan for cybersecurity to keep important data safe, ensure their operations can keep running smoothly, and defend against new kinds of threats.
Shoreline Technology Solutions presents you the Cloud Security Checklist, a key tool for any organization trying to handle the challenges that come with working in a cloud environment. It offers clear advice on how to put good security practices in place, use the right security tools, and follow the best steps to keep your business safe.
By following this checklist, you will strengthen their overall digital security and create a culture where everyone understands the importance of keeping data secure.
- Understanding Your Cloud Environment
- Data Encryption
- Access Control
- Endpoint Security
- Access Control
- Regular Security Assessments
- Employee Training and Awareness
- Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
- Compliance with Regulations
- Vendor Management
- Remote Work Security
1. Understanding Your Cloud Environment
- Identify the cloud service models in use (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
- Determine the responsibility for security in your cloud model (provider, your business, or both).
- Assess the integration of your cloud environment with existing on-premises infrastructure.
- List compliance requirements applicable to your cloud data.
- Confirm the shared responsibility model with your service provider is clearly defined.
2. Data Encryption
- Ensure data is encrypted both at rest and in transit.
- Identify encryption standards and protocols in use.
- Determine who manages the encryption keys and their protection measures.
- Assess the impact of encryption on data retrieval and performance.
- Check for regulatory or compliance standards dictating encryption levels.
3. Access Control
- Identify the access control model implemented (e.g., RBAC, ABAC).
- Assess management of identities and authentication in the cloud.
- Ensure multi-factor authentication and conditional access policies are in place.
- Verify the principle of least privilege is maintained.
- Regularly review and update access permissions.
4. Endpoint Security
- Secure endpoints against malware and phishing attacks.
- Implement a regular process for updating and patching endpoint devices.
- Monitor and control endpoint access to cloud services.
- Utilize tools for detecting and responding to endpoint security incidents.
- Secure endpoints used by remote workers.
5. Access Control
- Integrate security into your continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
- Include automated security scanning and vulnerability assessments in DevOps processes.
- Manage secrets and sensitive information securely in all environments.
- Ensure measures are in place to maintain code integrity and prevent unauthorized changes.
- Monitor and audit DevOps processes for compliance with security policies.
6. Regular Security Assessments
- Conduct regular security assessments and audits of your cloud environment.
- Utilize appropriate tools and methodologies for security assessments.
- Address and remediate identified vulnerabilities.
- Perform penetration tests to evaluate security measure effectiveness.
- Effectively communicate and act upon security assessment findings.
7. Employee Training and Awareness
- Provide training on cloud security best practices.
- Ensure employees understand the risks associated with cloud services and remote work.
- Implement mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of security training.
- Regularly update and deliver security awareness training.
- Offer specific training modules for employees handling sensitive data or accessing high-risk environments.
8. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
- Develop a strategy for data backup and recovery.
- Ensure business continuity plans are in place for cloud service disruptions.
- Define the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) for your critical cloud services.
- Regularly test disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
- Securely manage and backup data in multi-cloud or hybrid environments.
9. Compliance with Regulations
- Identify regulatory standards applicable to your cloud data (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
- Ensure compliance with these regulations in the cloud.
- Manage data sovereignty and residency requirements.
- Handle audit and reporting requirements for regulatory compliance.
- Confirm cloud service providers are compliant with necessary regulations and standards.
10. Vendor Management
- Evaluate the security posture of potential cloud service providers.
- Monitor and assess the performance of cloud vendors.
- Ensure cloud service providers adhere to your security and compliance requirements.
- Manage and respond to security incidents involving a service provider.
11. Remote Work Security
- Secure data accessed by remote employees.
- Implement strategies to protect against remote work-specific threats.
- Ensure secure connectivity for remote employees.
A proactive and vigilant approach to cybersecurity is critical for securing cloud operations and ensuring the long-term success of any business in today’s digital landscape. By adhering to the guidelines in this Cloud Security Checklist, businesses are one step closer to effectively navigating the complexities of the cloud and their remote workforce. List this checklist? Download it as a PDF.
As a Holland, Michigan Managed Service Provider (MSP), we offer more than just server disaster recovery and break-fix IT support. We evaluate and organize your network, keeping your data backed up and secure—at all times. Don’t wait for server disaster to find a qualified Managed Services Provider. Reach out to Shoreline Technology Solutions today. Our information technology company will evaluate your network free-of-charge and provide you with best-in-class hardware and cloud-based solutions.
President / Network Architect
Mark Kolean always had a fascination with technology from the time he was 3 and his gift of the Atari 2600 to current. In 1990 at the age of 14 Mark got his first job in customer support for a mail order business supporting Tandy TSR-80 computer software shipped on cassette tape. A few years later Mark was building hundreds of 286, 386, and 486 computers for the new emerging DOS & Windows 3.1 computers that had exploded on the market.
After a college career studying business and technology Mark Started Shoreline Computer Systems in 1999 at the height of the dot.com boom with the looming crisis of the year2k bug just around the corner. In the early 2000’s a lot of work was done with early network systems including Lantastic, Novell, and Windows NT Server. Mark became a community contributor to the Small Business Specialist community that revolved around Small Business Server 2000-2011 which focused on single or dual server environments for businesses up to 50 in size. Networks during this time frame mostly had a break fix relationship in which work was billed only when a problem occurred.
In the 2010’s Microsoft released their first cloud based software called Microsoft BPOS which would in later become known as Microsoft Office 365. This introduced a new model in technology with pay as you go subscription services. Starting in 2013 Mark’s team at Shoreline Computer System rebranded as Shoreline Technology Solutions to focus on the transition to become proactive and less reactive to data backup and security needs. Starting in 2018 all customers are required to have a backup management plan in place as a center point with the full understanding that if STS isn’t watching the customer’s data, then no one is.
Now in Mark’s 22 years of business he is building a company emphasis of how to help customers retire servers and build networks completely in the cloud.
Leave a Reply