5 Tips for Better Cloud Encryption

Research from the Ponemon Institute revealed that 75% of businesses have deployed cloud storage encryption to some degree, with 43% of businesses applying an encryption strategy consistently at all levels throughout the company.

When it comes to encrypting cloud-based data, businesses can choose from three options: client-side, in-transit or at-rest.

Client-side encryption is the best option for companies with a lot of highly sensitive data, as it is encrypted on a user’s computer before uploading to the cloud. The caveat, though, is that only you have the set of encryption keys, so if these are lost, there’s no retrieving the data in your cloud. For businesses with little or no sensitive data to protect, other options would be satisfactory and are available at a lower cost.

Whichever option you choose, there are some tips you should follow, not least the need to back up data to multiple cloud platforms in case one is corrupted or hacked. It’s also crucial to understand the full terms of your encryption agreement and liaise with your provider regularly so that you know what they can and can’t solve. In addition to the importance of having a solid encryption solution in place, it’s worth educating all staff on safe data usage practices, as this will naturally reduce the likelihood of sensitive data being lost or stolen.

This infographic by Paradyn outlines the various cloud encryption strategies in further detail and gives advice on how best to implement them.