Author: Dennis Oiro

Cloud computing is one of the biggest trends experienced in the business world. Organizations are benefiting from cloud computing immensely. They are storing data securely and running applications efficiently on outsourced virtual computing infrastructure. But, security challenges have emerged as entities leverage the power of cloud computing to take their businesses to the next level. 

The security challenges have continued to cause massive losses across the world. However, businesses that have adopted cloud cryptography are relatively safe from security challenges such as data breaches and unauthorized access. Cloud cryptography is essentially encryption protecting data stored in the cloud. 

Access to the servers in the cloud is strictly regulated through cryptographic keys under cloud cryptography. People who have those keys are the only ones allowed to access the servers in the cloud with ease. The rest are blocked, with the main point behind this measure being authentication. Read on to find out why cloud cryptography is necessary for businesses that use cloud services. 

 Benefits for Businesses

Cloud cryptography adds a robust layer of security to data and applications in the cloud. That helps businesses rest easy, free from worries about their data or applications being breached, hacked, or even affected by malware. 

Encryption ensures that data remains private in the cloud and is accessed by authorized users only. This is important because businesses are trusting cloud providers with sensitive data such as IT vulnerability assessment results. 

When data is transferred from one system to the other, it is at risk. Encryption is the key to make the data less vulnerable when it is being transferred. Enhanced data security is essentially an important perk of embracing cloud cryptography. 

When unauthorized users who do not have cryptographic keys attempt to access and change data or applications in the cloud, the owners of those resources are notified immediately. This makes it difficult for people with malicious intentions to access or make changes to your business’s resources in the cloud. 

Setbacks Associated with Encryption

Businesses should not focus on the benefits of cryptography only and fail to note the setbacks that come with it. When they're aware of both the benefits and challenges associated with cloud cryptography, they can make an informed decision about securing their resources in the cloud. 

The first challenge is the costs of encrypting data in the cloud. It can be expensive to encrypt data in the cloud, given that it must be done alongside maintaining and updating systems. Systems are becoming more sophisticated each day, calling for advanced skills to secure data driving protection costs. 

There is always a possibility of a server glitch even if the encryption protocols are carried out properly. Any IT professional can tell you that cybersecurity cannot be achieved in absolute terms and securing data is an ongoing process that often involves learning from previous incidents.

Overprotective measures can make it difficult for a business to recover data in case of an adverse incident. Thus, data recovery is an important consideration when coming up with security measures to protect data in the cloud. 

Main Points of Insecurity in the Cloud

It is also important to note security issues associated with cloud computing to be able to weigh between the benefits and drawbacks of cloud cryptography for better decision-making. Unauthorized access remains the main issue, with employees negligently sharing their credentials with unauthorized people enabling them to access data in the cloud compromising its security. Additionally, employees tend to access the cloud solutions from multiple devices, making them vulnerable to external attacks. 

Lack of visibility is also a point of public cloud insecurity. Invisibility can lead to unauthorized access, replication, and improper handling of data from the cloud. Further, Application Programming Interfaces that give businesses the ability to customize their cloud experience equally pose security threats. 

System vulnerabilities are also common in cloud infrastructure. This is because it is made up of complex networks as well as many third-party platforms. Hackers strive to identify the vulnerabilities to breach the cloud infrastructure and leave businesses grappling with losses or damages. Integrated third-party systems are essentially insecurity points where vulnerabilities emanate from in cloud infrastructure. 

Bottom-Line

A keen comparison between the benefits, insecurity issues and setbacks associated with cloud cryptography reveals that encryption is an essential technique for businesses who have moved some of their operations to the cloud. Data security is an emerging issue in this cloud computing era, and each business should strive to protect itself. There is good news, though. Some cloud service providers such as Shells take the security concerns of their clients seriously and goes to the extra mile to protect their clients' operations. While encryption is important, it is also important to have a provider with your interests at heart to back you up for your data to be truly secure in the cloud.