How to protect your organization data in a multi-cloud environment? Full guide for 2024

Cloud technology offers numerous advantages to businesses, including significant cost savings and easy access to the latest applications and tools. These benefits have led to widespread adoption of cloud technology, a trend that is expected to continue growing. According to a Gartner survey, over 81% of cloud users are utilizing multiple cloud providers, with more than one-third of enterprises prioritizing cloud investment.

While the benefits of a multi-cloud infrastructure are evident, it can also introduce complexities if not managed properly. Enterprises must address these complexities to avoid security pitfalls and safeguard their data. Alignment among development teams, operations, and security is essential to maintain data security and compliance.

Fortunately, there are best practices that businesses can follow to protect their data. By implementing the tips outlined below, enterprises can take necessary steps to enhance their data security posture.

Data inventory

Every day, businesses generate a wealth of operational, customer, and financial data. While on-premises storage allows for easier monitoring by security professionals and IT administrators, cloud storage requires a thorough understanding of the data stored and the security measures in place.

To achieve this, creating a data inventory is essential. This inventory assists in identifying the location of primary and backup data, tracking backup frequency, managing access controls, and monitoring file locations and types, ultimately aiding in effective data management and monitoring.

Regularly backup your data

Regardless of whether you utilize a private or public cloud and regardless of your chosen cloud service provider, regular data backup is essential. Data recovery responsibilities are shared between your enterprise and the cloud service provider. To ensure business continuity, prioritize regular data backups, especially for critical data. Utilize your data inventory to monitor backup frequency, with critical data requiring more frequent backups. Assess the backup location to ensure geographic diversity. Understand the trade-offs between differential, incremental, and full backups to meet data accessibility needs.

Ensure your cloud provider comprehends your regulatory requirements and aligns with your business needs regarding data center policies. Conduct planned failovers to train employees for real crises, ensuring data availability during emergencies.

Create policies based on compliance requirements

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, enterprises must integrate security testing and compliance into their software development lifecycle. Opting for a cloud provider offering continuous governance, analytics, and verification is essential for achieving this goal. 

To ensure comprehensive protection of your multi-cloud environment, prioritize compliance, governance, and security across hybrid and private clouds alike. Successful multi-cloud security involves verifying and enforcing crucial configurations of cloud-based services, as well as assessing vulnerabilities in web application components and libraries. Ultimately, the security of your cloud infrastructure hinges on the configuration of various services across your cloud resources.

Selecting the ideal cloud provider

Before selecting a cloud vendor, exercise caution and thoroughly evaluate their security practices. Review all service features and security policies to ensure alignment with your needs. Your IT and security teams should possess a comprehensive understanding of the vendor's services. Opt for a cloud provider with a strong market reputation and financial stability for long-term partnership. Inquire about data center availability and customer support services as well.

Limit access to authorized devices for cloud applications

Ensure that users and devices accessing your cloud applications adhere to stringent security measures. Safeguarding the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of your data is paramount. Implement role-based access controls to limit data accessibility for users. Enforce robust password policies for user accounts, extending to USB drives, applications, and mobile devices. Prevent unauthorized access via shadow IT by monitoring and regulating employee resource usage.

In conclusion, the advent of cloud computing has revolutionized the digital landscape, offering numerous advantages to enterprises. Transitioning applications and data to the cloud can be a strategic business move, provided it is done with careful planning. Understanding the implications of cloud adoption on data security, integrity, and availability is crucial. Given the complexity of securing hybrid IT environments, seeking assistance from experts such as those at Bleuwire is advisable. Their expertise can ensure that your data remains safeguarded within a multi-cloud environment.