Cloud technology has become increasingly important for businesses in all parts of the economy. Zippia reports that 48% of businesses store their most important data on the cloud and 60% of all corporate data is on the cloud.
The growing popularity of cloud solutions is not surprising. After all, there are clearly a number of major benefits of cloud computing. However, there are also some drawbacks.
One of the biggest concerns about storing data on the cloud is the growing risk of a data breach. Unfortunately, cloud systems are not as secure, unless they are setup properly. The good news is that you can enhance cloud security by using a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). We will cover the benefits of them in this article.
Companies Need to Use Solutions Like CASBs to Promote Cloud Security
Many companies store their data on cloud servers because it makes it easy for their employees to access them from any location. This makes them vulnerable to data breaches and attacks from cybercriminals. As we mentioned in a recent article, companies need to take data security seriously in the big data age. Unfortunately, this becomes tricky when so much data is poorly secured on the cloud.
As organizations upgrade their systems and cybersecurity tools, these criminals adapt their strategies to counter them. Thus, companies need to take proactive measures to keep their data secure.
A CASB is a security tool companies use to protect their data. This tool is a gatekeeper between a business’s computer network, cloud servers, and cloud-based applications. It provides real-time insight into the usage of their cloud-based platforms so they can prevent unwanted access, malware infections, and other cyber-attacks.
How CASBs Protect Business Data
CASBs are effective in protecting business data because of their numerous features, and here are some of the benefits of those features:
- Oversight of the usage of cloud-based applications
Organizations can use this security tool to gain visibility into employees’ cloud usage. This visibility helps cybersecurity teams detect activities that put the organization at risk so they can mitigate them appropriately. This includes discovering if employees use unsecured devices or applications to access the cloud server. Such action poses a severe threat because it creates security gaps cybercriminals can exploit.
- Prevention of data loss
The real-time monitoring feature of CASBs helps prevent data loss. This is because it detects suspicious activity when data goes in and out of the cloud server, allowing management to spot data breaches. Cloud Access Security Brokers also classify data based on their sensitivity so the appropriate security protocol can be applied whenever there is a perceived threat.
- Access control
Company executives can use CASBs to control employee access to cloud servers. This prevents unauthorized entry and allows them to enforce security measures to keep out intruders. The tool also notifies stakeholders about blocked entry attempts so they can take necessary action.
- Compliance with government regulations
Organizations are expected to comply with government data protection and cybersecurity regulations. CASBs help them do this by encrypting sensitive cloud data and protecting it from cyberattacks. They can also detect suspicious cloud-based activity and immediately direct the appropriate personnel to deal with it. This regulatory compliance also favors consumers since their data will remain secure.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a CASB Tool For Business
Companies can use many CASB tools to secure their data better. These are four factors to consider when choosing the right one for your business:
1. Seamless integration with cloud service providers
Your CASB tool should work seamlessly with your business’s cloud services. It should allow you to monitor activities on all your cloud-based applications.
2. Ease of Use
Your CASB should have a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for administrators to use and manage the cloud protection features.
3. Real-time threat protection
The security tool should have machine learning capabilities to detect cyber threats in real-time so they can be dealt with.
4. Solid data protection
It should be able to protect sensitive data and prevent malicious actors from accessing them.
Endnote
Cloud Access Security Brokers help businesses protect their sensitive data stored on the cloud. They do this by rigorously scanning the traffic flowing in and out of their cloud servers and triggering alerts whenever they detect irregularities. The security tool can also deal with these threats on sight and implement measures to prevent them from reoccurring. These nullify the threats cybercriminals pose and prevent unauthorized access to valuable information.