While technology evolves at a rapid pace and organizations constantly struggle to keep up, losing focus on the “people aspect” cannot be an option. Increasingly, organizations have pushed onward to cloud-based solutions to achieve growth goals. Yet some have found cloud security challenges along the way. Your workforce shares a lot of responsibility for addressing those challenges.

The truth of the matter is that cloud security challenges lurk around every corner. Moving to the cloud without proper planning prior to migrating data can lead to massive security issues later on. It’s becoming commonplace for organizations to experience data breaches due to a lack of adequate planning.

Unfortunately, it’s a systemic issue — companies want to rush to get new programs and applications up and running, but they’re not thinking about security until much later. A stunning lack of security standards is now the norm, and it’s costing organizations a lot in terms of data, money and reputation.

Be Proactive Rather Than Reactive

Some organizations believe it’s inevitable, given the number of threats that exist today, that they’re going to get hit by a hacker. While that might be true to a degree, it pays to be proactive rather than rely solely on your reactive instincts. 

Begin by looking over your service-level agreements and contracts you have with cloud providers. Know what security methods they’re providing on their end and recognize that you are responsible for your data. Have a strict accountability policy in your office, ensuring that employees practice safe password usage and update their software as soon as it’s available. 

Another proactive approach is to test your environment and make sure you’re covered. You can even run “fire drills” to practice what each of your employees should do in the event of a breach. This can significantly minimize the damage caused in the event of a crisis while also saving you money and protecting your reputation.

Continually auditing your strategy is a good idea. As technology changes and threats evolve, you have to be flexible in your approach to mitigating risk. Also, getting third-party assistance from a professional organization with experience in cloud security challenges can help you get ahead of the threats. 

eXemplify can be your trusted partner by bringing cloud security challenges to their knees. We know the benefits of going to the cloud, but we also help our clients navigate the challenges inherent to the cloud, including security, flexibility, and continuity. We also offer hybrid cloud storage solutions, which provides you with a greater amount of mobility, including remote file server solutions and local and off-site resources. Contact us, and let’s discuss your unique needs.