Cloud security threats don’t show up on a schedule, but the new year is as good a time as any to look into the kinds of issues that your IT team may be facing the coming months. Indeed, staying educated about the kinds of issues facing data security is one of the best tools you have to prevent data breaches and mitigate potential damage.
Following are five things you can start doing (or keep doing) in 2017 to make sure that your data is as secure as possible.
Practice Transparency
Just as businesses have become more aware of and invested in cloud security, so have consumers that have come to care much more about where their data goes and how it is used. To best address these concerns, companies will need to be transparent about the they data collect and the steps they take to secure it. It is no longer an option to bury privacy and security practices in long user agreements and expect them to be overlooked. Make sure that you have a plan in 2017 to be transparent about cloud security, particularly when your organization collects sensitive, personal data.Be Prepared to Localize
Government organizations are already standing up and taking notice of cloud security issues, both for their security and for U.S. businesses. As politics and legislation become involved, we are likely to see many businesses move from global cloud storage to more local options. Complicating factors such as the recently passed EU General Data Protection Regulation mean that a local cloud could protect you from possibly being on the wrong side of international concerns.Address Known Issues
According to Gartner security expert Earl Perkins, 99% of the cloud security vulnerabilities that will be exploited in the coming year are ones that are already known to IT departments. While some businesses spend inordinate amounts of time and resources trying to identify new threats and potential issues, the fact is that most already know where security gaps exist. In 2017, it is much more important to address the issues you already know about than to try to see into the future. Put your resources into addressing known vulnerabilities and your security -- and your customers -- will reap the rewards.Develop a DSG
A DSG, or Data Security Governance program, will be essential in 2017 and beyond. Whether you call your security program a DSG or something else, the fact remains that it should be a holistic approach to data security. In 2017, it will not be possible to keep one security effort separate from another. Rather, it is essential to keep all stakeholders on the same page about the importance of data security and the steps being taken to ensure it throughout your organization.Don’t Discount the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) isn’t new anymore. Rather than getting excited about what these new things can bring into our homes and offices, 2017 is the time to think about how the cloud-based data that these devices collect is used and secured. Be sure that your organization has a plan in place to ensure any IoT devices are secure before letting them run rampant with your private data.
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Topics: Cloud Telephony, Data Security
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