Businesses have been moving their data to the cloud for a variety of reasons. It gives them remote access, protects their data from disasters, and can also be cheaper. Cloud storage also makes it easier for businesses to collaborate on projects, share data, and work from anywhere with an internet connection.

But can cloud storage be safe? The thing with cloud storage is you don’t know who’s managing your data. You don’t know who’s looking at your data, and you don’t know what’s being done to safeguard your data. If you’re thinking about getting cloud storage for your business, you need to think about the following tips for storing business data in cloud storage safely and effectively.

Determine your data needs by sensitivity

Sensitive data is information that, if exposed, will have a negative impact on an individual or a company. Sensitive data should be stored in a secure manner. If you are not completely sure what sensitive data is for your business, it is best to store all data securely.

Sensitivity refers to the level of importance of data. The sensitivity of data is determined by how critical it is to the business and how much damage it can cause if lost. When determining the sensitivity of data, it’s important to consider how much damage could happen if a breach were to occur. Data sensitivity can be broken up into four categories: Public, Private, Confidential and Sensitive.

Choose a cloud service or virtual data room that can cater to your industry

For a small business or startup, choosing a cloud service or virtual data room provider can be a daunting task. There are literally thousands to choose from, covering everything from file sharing to data storage and analytics.

How can you possibly decide which one to go with? The first thing to consider is what industry you’re in and what kind of data you need to store. Some services are more suited to business needs than others. For example, if you’re a retailer that stocks thousands of products, you may want to go with a service like Dropbox.

This is because it has a feature called a “Business Package” that allows you to control access to files based on the employee accessing them. But if you’re a tech startup developing new software, you might want to go with a service like AWS. This is because it allows you to store your code and data for testing.

The top cloud storage providers for your business depend on what industry you are in. If you own a medical office and you need to store your patients’ records and personal information, you want a cloud service that is HIPAA compliant.

If you are a financial institution, you want a virtual data room like https://www.firmex.com/ that can meet the requirements of the SEC. If you are a small business owner, you probably don’t need such a high level of security, but you still need a cloud storage service with good customer service and secure encryption.

Most secure cloud storage services are HIPAA, SEC, PCI and GDPR compliant, so you don’t need to worry about selecting a virtual data room that will protect your data from hackers.

Control access for different employees

You may have files that should be accessible only to certain employees. It makes sense to do so since you don’t want to have your staff members share the same passwords for all their accounts. This makes your accounts vulnerable to hackers and other threats. One of the best ways to solve this problem is to create individual passwords for your employees.

The more people have access to sensitive data, the higher the chance of a security breach. This is why it is best to set up user accounts for employees and then control access to the data based on their roles. So, for example, some employees can view customer information but not employee information.

This also applies to storage accounts. If employees are storing data in the same storage account, then you should set up different access controls.

Encrypt data in the cloud

If you have used cloud storage, you probably know that it is more cost-effective and versatile than other traditional storage solutions. However, when it comes to security and privacy, it is more vulnerable. Data stored in the cloud is less protected than data stored in your own office or computer.

When you use a cloud storage service, your data is usually stored in an encrypted form. However, this encryption is only useful if it can keep your files safe. The only solution is to encrypt your files before uploading them to the cloud storage service.

One of the most straightforward methods is to use a cloud-to-cloud encryption service. This will allow you to encrypt data in your cloud storage while leaving the key on the server. When you need to access the data, you will be able to decrypt it.

Keep data organized and backed up

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In the world of data storage, that saying rings especially true. Whether a small business owner or a large enterprise, you need to be aware of the potential risks of storing data in the cloud.

One of the biggest problems you can face is data loss. If you’ve ever accidentally deleted an important email or document, you know how frustrating it can be to lose important business data. The problem is compounded when you don’t have it backed up.

Things aren’t always going to go perfectly, and there will be times when you lose some or all of your data. It’s important to have a backup solution in place to ensure that you won’t lose your data if the worst happens.

Regularly test your cloud data storage for compliance

If you’re going to use a cloud storage system, be sure to regularly test the security of your data to ensure that your data is being handled in the correct manner. This will ensure that you comply with all of the security procedures in place for storing data in the cloud.

If you’re not sure what to look for, you can run a regular test to ensure that your data is still in place and that it is still secure.

Use two-factor authentication

Why two-factor authentication? Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security that provides protection against hackers and unauthorized users. This defense mechanism helps prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your accounts and personal data by requiring a second layer of security in addition to your username and password.

The second layer is usually a code generated by an authenticator application or sent to your mobile phone. By generating a temporary code that only you have access to, you can log in securely to your account using this code. The code can be used only once and is valid for a specific period. The 2FA can be activated for all accounts on your computer or phone.