Protecting Enterprise Clouds from Data Breaches

More enterprises are shifting their resources to cloud based solutions than ever before. Although companies can benefit significantly from the increased flexibility and reduced overhead costs that come with cloud migration, they also open themselves to a whole new host of data security challenges. 

According to a survey of 822 IT professionals and decision makers conducted by IT analyst firm Neovise, 54 percent of respondents said their organizations were currently utilizing cloud solutions. With the increased use of cloud technology, companies need to prioritize protecting sensitive data. However, recent reports suggested that cybersecurity confidence is low. A survey of nearly 250 IT security professionals at RSA Conference 2013 found that more than 70 percent of participants were unwilling to guarantee that their organizations would not fall victim to a data breach within the next six months, Help Net Security reported.

Companies may be more at risk for data breaches than ever before. CSO Online reported that the number of network vulnerabilities increased by 19 percent in the last year. 

With the increasing number of data security threats, companies need to be sure that their information is secure in the cloud. CloudTweaks suggested several methods for enterprises to bolster their cloud security protocols. One of the primary methods suggested to improve cloud security was encryption. Even with all the latest, state-at-of-the-art network defenses in place, an enterprise may still experience a breach. In the event that a hacker has infiltrated a company's public or private cloud network, data encryption software can prevent thieves from accessing critical corporate files. It may serve as the last line of defense for companies seeking to keep their information out of the wrong hands.