Cloud computing has seeped into our working systems, with most corporate entities, big or small, already moved to the cloud, while others are choosing cloud transition as their forthcoming agendas. These are numerous benefits of cloud-based working models, like user mobility, work flexibility, business scalability, employee efficiency, lowered costs, etc. Despite such an extensive benefit palette and full acceptance of cloud, there still are many organizations being circumspect about cloud security—traditional cloud security vs. CASB is a topic of consideration today when so many CASB solutions have come to help corporate owners protect their critical data against otherwise common thefts, leakages, etc.
Traditional Cloud Security
Most cloud providers claim to provide high-level cloud data security, but most corporations still face issues with the safety of their critical data over the cloud. Also, many times, it is the lack of security awareness and best practices needed on the users that prevent such incidences of data loss, privacy intrusions, and security breaches.
- When companies move to the cloud initially, they provide their employees with access to data without any clearly-defined roles. It results in access credentials getting compromised, resulting in significant cloud data security threats. Therefore, stringent access control features are of grave importance to be exercised for the protection of cloud data resources like the implementation of 2-factor authentication for data access credentials.
- The traditional cloud security modules, including firewalls, anti-malware/anti-spyware, etc., are useful to a certain extent. Still, any employee accidentally gives his/her access credentials to any hacker, who might be disguised as some helpdesk support personnel say over the phone can make it all go for a toss. It is why such security models are not adequate in meeting the cloud security requirements of most corporate entities working their ways out in cloud run environments.
- Most business houses focus on their current employees only; they see the strength of their passwords, the frequency of changing those existing passwords, etc. But, sometimes, passwords used by ex-employees, especially those who were terminated, can be a very costly affair. Any such unhappy ex-employee whose passwords to multiple online accounts are not changed can result in severe damages to the company’s online data.
- While choosing a cloud service provider, people usually focus on their features, like their clients, pricing details, etc. What they miss is to check the location of data centers, which is an important aspect.
Cloud Security Using CASB Solutions
To break a common misconception, it is needed to understand that cloud security is not just the sole responsibility of cloud service providers. Still, it is equally a responsibility of businesses. Hence, as a cloud user, you must always try to eliminate all of the existing errors, triggering any security issues, and avoiding the little mistakes, which can compromise enterprise security.
A way out of this trouble is to get hold of some useful CASB solution. CASB solutions are a step ahead of the traditional cloud security modules. Such tools work by imposing certain restrictions like IP restriction, browser restriction, device restriction, etc., and policies governing a surveillant use of cloud data. Benefits of working in cloud environments are not given away with these models as only restrictions are imposed, and usage is though not blocked completely to help enterprises avail the best of both worlds.
Any attempts made against the restrictions and policies imposed are alerted to the IT through the generation of several reports immediately, helping them to check any such data transactions well in time. Such security protocols are otherwise missing in traditional cloud security modules. So, with an efficient CASB solution in place, it is like an extra layer of security added onto the existing cloud modules. So, we can say that CASB solutions hand-in-hand with existing cloud working models can give enterprises a gift of enhanced work productivity, user mobility, flexibility, scalability; coupled with ensured cloud security.