Manageability and security policy are the biggest knotty problems in SaaS solutions or cloud platforms. I will explain what you should do about them.
Companies are increasingly using different SaaS solutions or cloud platforms nowadays (just think of O365, Dropbox, Smartdrive, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.), which makes sense, given the many advantages and convenience.
Where does the problem lie exactly?
Every cloud solution has its own characteristics. That's why, when companies choose such a solution, it is usually based on requirements of a specific project. One disadvantage of this strategy is that corporate data can be easily dispersed over different platforms, each with their own security policies. It could then become difficult for you to find your way around.
How do you solve the problem?
1. Work with corporate accounts
Employees quickly get used to the cloud services they work with. Once they have been able to test the efficiency of a cloud model, it is very difficult to reverse this decision. A good first step can be to work with corporate accounts instead of personal accounts. That will not solve all the problems, but it is certainly a good start, for you can manage and control corporate accounts centrally. With a corporate account, you also avoid a situation where employees look for a solution themselves or where you subsequently have to restrict their freedom of action.
2. Start to Map
It is important to have a clear overview of your data and for you to know where that are at all times. Therefore, the two most important questions are:
- Which data are where?
- Which platforms are used for what?
Try first to limit the number of different platforms to a certain minimum. Make a clear mapping in which you describe which platforms are used for which purposes.
3. Define responsibilities
Every cloud provider has his own data policies. It is not always clear where the security responsibilities of the cloud provider end and where yours begin. You must therefore define the responsibilities internally before you start using a new cloud platform. Determine clearly which data you protect, how you do that, when you encrypt them and who can access them. Make sure to describe also how your plan complies with the latest privacy legislation.
4. Manage logins centrally
Manage all logins and passwords from your own datacentre or private cloud. This way, logins and passwords are not spread over different platforms. If a data leak occurs on one of the platforms you use, you are still guaranteed that your logins are not compromised.
5. Opt for multi-cloud security
You must integrate multi-cloud security if you want it to be effective. This is the only way to get a clear and systematic view of what goes on in your networks and where any vulnerabilities may lie. You can then draw up an action plan with an appropriate roadmap to get your security policy on point.
Conclusion
If security assumes a proactive role in your company and is then implemented in the entire infrastructure, your organization will not only be able to avoid security problems it will capitalize on the costs, flexibility and scalability advantages of the cloud.
If you would like to discuss the matter further with us or if you have any questions concerning your security policies, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to help you optimize your security policy.
