What Does Influence Cloud Security Quality?
Obsah
Abstract objects are not those to be easily imagined – that is why they are abstract. And cloud can be included in this category. Thy physical cloud that carries rain can at least be seen until it disolves. But there is no chance of seeing the IT cloud. That is why it is sometimes hard to imagine how this kind of cloud could be secure.
We would like to take you on an imaginary tour through our cloud; we will go the whole hog and start at the very beginning with the physical infrastructure up to the abstract virtualized levels. We will make the tour very thorough and you will be able to meet the elements that together form the security layers of our cloud. You can then make your own picture on the topic of cloud security and see for yourself if security in cloud is just a mirage or if it could possibly be real.
Cloud Security Starts in a Data Center
When we really want to go the whole hog, we need to visit the data center. Why you ask? Cloud is a technology that needs to run on physical infrastructure – you need physical servers and everything that comes along. So, welcome to our data center!
But beware, entering a data center is not that simple. If you didn’t have us a guide, you would not be able to enter. Entrance is only for persons that are in the system and have gone through a special process to be approved for entering the DC. And still they only have a limited access that is being monitored and checked.
And what about security? A data center has several layers of security. Some of them can be seen but some of them you might search and not find. To enter the data center, you need a combination of several “key” types – quotation marks are relevant because there is no real key you would find in the data center.
Without authorization, there is no gaining a key. And as a customer, you will only receive the ability to access your own technologies. Access to backup systems, other customer hardware and security elements including the monitoring center is reserved only for authorized personnel. And since the data center in monitored 24/7, an unauthorized access is a mission impossible, literally.
But security is not just related to the physical equipment. For example, you also need to monitor the Internet traffic. When we look at it overall, having a cloud on physical infrastructure outside of a data center is not the best solution from the security perspective. Now let’s move on.
The Feared Cybersecurity
Now we find ourselves in the virtual world because we have left everything physical behind in the data center. Now we are in the virtualized server – in the cloud. Here there are no more walls, locks and keys. Instead, we are now in the world of cyberwalls and attack protection.
From the security perspective, we are not able to name all the elements because that would not be safe. But we can share with you information about two layers that you might find interesting and could also calm you.
Firewall – Security Cloud Wall
Imagine a healthy immune system. If there are good cells moving around in the body, the immune system is their friend and says hello when they meet. But when the system encounters malicious cells, the intervention is immediate and without mercy – the cells have to go.
A firewall works just like that. It checks the safety of the operations and if there is any suspicious movement, it immediately notifies the technicians about something not being right. This is how your cloud is being protected from the malicious traffic from the Internet.
DDoS – Cloud Security Politics
We are not talking about a political approach but about a collection of processes that are set up in a way to prevent the DDoS attacks that aim at overloading the system to prevent access to the targeted service. For example, it could very well happen that a cloud service could show to you an unwelcome message about the service being not available.
Thanks to the IT processes, it is possible to stop these attacks in time and prevent outages due to the wrong intentions of the attackers.
Cloud itself is designed in a way to provide maximum security. Without endangering security, we cannot provide you with more assurance. Rather, let’s look at another area that has a lot of influence over cloud security – you
Security of Cloud Stemming from the Internal Processes
Let’s ask a few questions before we dive in:
- Do your employees know how to manage internal company documents?
- Do they know where to look for them, how to edit them and where to save them?
- How should you create safe password?
- How should you leave your workspace and the device you were given?
- What should be stored on the local drive?
- How should you safely log out from all systems?
Maybe it seems unimportant but all of these questions meet at one common topic – how much do you secure the operations on your side? Even with the highest standards of security on the physical and virtual level, everything is in vain when it comes to human error. The human error could hide in the insufficient definition of the internal security processes.
Cloud Can Be Endangered by a Personal Approach
The last area that can affect the security of your cloud, is the personal attitude of your company IT users. If they do not fully understand the principles of security set up in the company or they do not want to adhere to them, then they are the biggest hole in the security.
Do not despair if you feel that all these areas are just beyond your reach. Our colleagues are trained professionals in IT which also means that they know they way around security. They will be happy to give you advice on how to set up everything so that you perceive your company cloud as secured and that it really is secured.
