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Is The Cloud More Secure For
Your Information?

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There�s been a healthy amount of debate regarding cloud security
during the last several years. With data hacks of major corporations
like The Home Depot and Target as well as the unauthorized release of
celebrity photos, the cloud has received a lot of bad publicity.
However, the cloud is becoming more and more secure every day, and
businesses are flocking to store their data in it. Even highly secure
industries, such as the financial and health sectors, are moving to
the cloud. So the question is: Does the cloud keep your information
more secure?
Possible Issues

When you move your information to the cloud, you�re giving up some of
your control, because the information no longer in your physical
possession. You can�t check on the servers to make sure they�re
running properly or update them with the latest protection yourself.
You also don�t have control over who works with your data.
This lack of control can make you feel vulnerable and insecure, but
that�s not the case most of the time. As you�ll see below, many of the
factors that might make you nervous are actually what makes your data
more secure in the cloud. However, it never hurts to invest in a cloud
insurance policy to give yourself a little extra peace of mind.
Encryption

When you�re looking for a cloud service provider, one of the first
things you need to ask about is encryption. Most cloud services � from
cloud storage to cloud contact centers � use bank-level encryption to
keep your data safe from hackers. In a BBC interview, Amazon Web
Service�s chief evangelist Ian Massingham said data should be
encrypted, both when it�s in transit and when it�s �at rest.�
AWS has more than 1,800 security controls for its customers, which
helps prevent hackers from accessing data. Massingham explained that
AWS also lets its customers control their own encryption keys (instead
of Amazon) and set rules for who can access the data.
This amount of protection could not be achieved by your internal IT
team. By having this level of protection � and having some control
over your encryption � you can feel more secure about using the cloud.
Fast Protection

Your information is also
more secure in the cloud because cloud service providers have the
tools and knowledge to stop � and mitigate � the damage of cyber
attacks much more quickly than an in-house IT team. Cloud service
providers, like Aspect Zipwire, are constantly on the lookout for
security problems, such as malware or DDoS attacks.
According to InformationWeek, cloud service providers use big data
security to stop the spread of malware before it gains access to a
system. Your internal IT team has a lot of responsibilities and jobs
to perform, security just being one of them. In comparison, cloud
service providers have dedicated processes to stop malware attacks so
they can be found sooner. InformationWeek also explains that if
malware does get through a company�s system, the company can then
retroactively revert file additions or changes that were made because
of how they collect and organize data.
Furthermore, cloud service providers can act as a shock absorber if
there is a DDoS attack. Your internal IT department can�t prevent such
an attack, because the DDoS fills the network connection faster than
it can be stopped. In comparison, cloud service providers have a much
larger cloud presence, which enables them to absorb the impact.
There always will be some risks when you�re dealing with large amounts
of data. But you shouldn�t let this prevent your business from taking
advantage of all the benefits cloud computing provides because your
information is secure.
References
http://www.informationsecuritybuzz.com/articles/cloud-secure-information/
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References | |
1 Statistics on the Internet
growth in Sri Lanka | |
http://www.trc.gov.lk/images/pdf/ | |
statis_sep_2012.doc | |
2.The Dragon Research Group (DRG) | | |
http://www.dragonresearchgroup.org/ |
3.TSUBAME (Internet threat
monitoring system) from JPCERT | CC | |
https://www.jpcert.or.jp/english/tsubame/ | |
4.Shadowserver Foundation | | | | | | | | | |
http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/ | |
5. Team Cymru | |
http://www.team-cymru.com | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Month in Brief | |
Facebook Incidents
Reported to Sri Lanka CERT|CC in May 2017 | |
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Statistics - Sri Lanka CERT|CC | |
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."...Can you believe Apple's iOS is 11 iterations old already? It seems
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longtime requested features.
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your way into an early developer version of the new OS, if you're brave
enough....." |
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