How SSL Encryption Can Boost Data Security in the Cloud

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In this article Dan Radak explains how SSL Certificates Encryption is a mandatory aspect for Cloud Computing Security. Everyone must know about it to stay protected on Cloud Computing.

As we get technologically advanced, we are finding it helpful to store our information on the cloud. Cloud computing has its advantages also. It helps to store information on the internet rather than the local servers and reduce the cost of continuing operations.

“The size of the cloud computing market around the world is said to increase from US$ 272 bn to US$ 623.3 bn in the time frame of five years from 2018 till 2023. It is a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 18.0% during the forecast period.” — Markets and Markets

The reasons for being on the cloud are too many. There is no need to purchase costly infrastructure. Also, you only need to plug-in, and you are all set to start working. There is unparalleled storage capacity as you can scale up according to your business needs. You are also ensured of auto-updates for the underlying software. Finally, your IT staff can now work on ensuring stringent practices are in place for your infrastructure.

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Threats Against Cloud Computing

The threats against the internet are immense. The considerable amount of data that is stored brings in the mischief mongers. The cybercriminals are smart enough, and the number of successful cyber-attacks is also increasing. There have been numerous incidents of malware attacks and data breaches. It has already led to significant losses to industry behemoths also. These attacks were successful due to unencrypted data.

“According to Symantec, out of almost 33,000 apps that were evaluated for their Business Readiness, it was found that less than 1% have the requisite built-in security for regular business use. Furthermore, the study found that 39% are unsuitable for business use.” — Symantec

Data from Symantec also confirms that almost 85% of organizations that use cloud computing are not using the security best practices to safeguard their data. The report by Symantec also stated that there should be a governance strategy maintained to which a Cloud Center of Excellence supports.

Cloud service users will have to ensure there are adequate security procedures in place to prevent any of these attacks to be successful. In this article, we will discuss how the SSL certificate will help you in cloud computing securityOpens a new window .

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How is SSL Helpful to You?

As SSL requires that your entity and the website are pre-validated, it is known to be a stepping-stone to ensure you are following the best practices to prevent phishing, MiTM attacks. It ensures that the site follows the HTTPS protocol. So, what is the change that happens? Now, the HTTPS protocol provides that any communication that occurs between the web server and the browser is encrypted. It will ensure that any third party cannot read the conversation.

All you will need to do is to assess your needs and purchase a cheap SSL certificate. There are various types of certificates. While the Domain Validation SSL certificate only proves domain ownership, the Extended Validation Certificates offer the highest validation. It will display the padlock apart from the name of the business and the country on the browser address bar. Here, the website owner needs to confirm that they are authorized owners of the exclusive rights to the domain.

The certificates have their validity period. Moreover, you also need to ensure that the certificate is not revoked periodically. You may utilize various online checkers to ensure the validity of the certificate.

Various Industries Have Stringent Practices

Due to the risks associated with the internet, multiple industries have a set of procedures that need to be strictly followed. In case the website allows financial transactions, you will need to adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It was created to prevent credit card fraud and ensures that websites are following stringent security practices. Periodic audits are undertaken to ensure validation of compliance. The standards cover twelve specific requirements that you will have to comply with. It provides details on the systems that you will need to have to ensure the proper security of the website. You will be required by Visa and Mastercard to validate your adherence to these standards.

What is Cloud SSL?

Cloud computing requires us to ensure that an SSL certificateOpens a new window also protects the data that is uploaded onto the cloud. The cloud services need to secure multiple domains along with the updates that could happen on an ongoing basis. The service providers can have an SSL certificate that will help them to secure their data centers.

There is a provision to automate the management and provisioning of certificates. The cloud service providers also find it easy to get their client approval on using SSL for their domain through email approval. There are certificate providers who also support the pay as you go model of the cloud services providers. Multi-domain SSL certificatesOpens a new window allow cloud service providers to remove domains using APIs. So, you can be assured that you need not to buy a certificate for short term clients. Moreover, your customers do not have the added burden to purchase an SSL certificate.

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Conclusion

Cloud computing has come as a relief for many small and medium enterprises. Some of the large enterprises are also opting for it due to its cost and other associated benefits. There are many risks related to it. The users of the cloud should always ensure that they have backed up the data with adequate security measures. It will help them to be safe from unnecessary hassles like non-compliance to regulatory standards. Any significant data breaches also bring along substantial legal costs.

A meaningful way to mitigate this risk is to buy an SSL certificate. It will encrypt the underlying data and uses a password for decrypting, making it useless for hackers. Thus, an SSL certificate ensures that you have peace of mind when opting for cloud computing. Periodic audits and ensuring that the SSL certificate uses a 256-bit algorithm will allow you to breathe easy. It also strengthens the existing firewall installations and other associated security infrastructure for your stored data.

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