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Only a few years ago, cloud technologies were a novelty used by a narrow circle of IT specialists, but today these solutions are available to every user. We are free to use Google’s Gmail, virtual disks, and various remote collaboration applications.
Cloud is a certain infrastructure that includes servers, data storage, software, and networks. You do not need to own equipment as you get the service from the provider. Of course, cloud providers promise to protect critical information from theft or leakage, but this task is more complicated than it may seem. The slightest gaps in security architecture provide attackers with many opportunities to manipulate the normal operation of the system. Attackers can:
- intercept data transmitted from the client to the server;
- intercept the server’s response to the client;
- launch a DDOS attack on the server.
There are cases when even the largest cloud providers fail. Even a giant like Amazon had two large-scale denials of service — the provider’s infrastructure was unavailable for several hours. So it is vital to know how to additionally enhance the security of your cloud uploads. It is nothing difficult about it, you just need to know what tools to use.
Image CDN
Almost all sites operate via Content Delivery Networks today. All information you are reaching from your smartphones or computers is delivered via CDN image hosting in most cases. This service improves the loading speed and security of online resources. CDN minimizes the geographic gap between the site and the location from where the request is made. CDN also performs another important role — it protects your data. CDN PoP becomes the initial point in the system to receive incoming traffic. Thus, it is the original line of defence against potential threats to the site. Thus a CDN can separate harmful and useful traffic, and it can block all unwanted traffic from reaching the servers. Eventually, only requests from real users will get to the site.
Strong passwords
Many people underestimate the importance of passwords until something bad happens. Users keep creating primitive combinations like “password” or “123456”, and these are the worst and most common passwords in the world. Meanwhile, the number of devices connected to the Internet is constantly growing, in 2025 there will be 41.6 billion. And it is not a rare case when attackers can gain access to a remote server. Often hacking is carried out using the so-called brute-force attacks – they are repeated until a working combination to access the server is found.
If you need a strong password for personal purposes, you can use a password generator. It is an online tool to generate complex and strong secret words online. These passwords are almost impossible to break. They are generated randomly and are not stored anywhere.
Encryption services
This approach remains the most effective way to keep your data safe. Use HTTPS which is a protected version of HTTP. It is an SSL protocol, which is activated after installing an SSL certificate and encodes personal information before transferring it to the site owner.
Any encryption method is based on a key. A key is a way to encrypt or decrypt a message. The browser and server create an SSL connection every time the user visits the site. It takes a few seconds while the site is loading. When you enter a website address in your browser, it asks the server if a certificate is added for the website. In response, the server sends general information about the SSL certificate and the public key. The browser verifies the information against the list of authorized certification authorities. This list is available in all popular browsers. If everything is fine, the browser generates a session key, enciphers it with the public key, and sends it to the server. The server decodes the message and stores the session key. After that, a secure connection is established between the browser and the site via the HTTPS protocol.
Antivirus and anti-spy apps
In the modern world, not only the local computers of ordinary users but also sites, servers, and entire networks become victims of virus attacks. Therefore, it is crucial to install modern antivirus tools on the computer of any employee working with the site via FTP, SSH, and other protocols because a virus can get there from another site, and then go to your site.
Antivirus protection is the most traditional security measure. This software is a multi-component, large-scale program that is installed on a PC. But it has several disadvantages: compatibility problems, the need for free space on the hard drive, constant monitoring of the updates, etc.
Cloud technologies have become a new solution in this area. Their main feature is that all processes take place on the web, and not on a PC. The cloud antivirus is a complex that includes a small client application and a web service. The client monitors suspicious activity on the device, and all the rest takes place in the webspace.
Endnote
Cloud technologies are being constantly improved including the protection of cloud storage. But all users should not neglect safety measures. Some providers allow installing additional security tools inside the application, such as an additional PIN, unlocking via face scanning, fingerprint (for some laptops), or retina scanning. All these features improve the protection of the files in cloud storage. Moreover, it is necessary to read its terms and conditions when choosing a cloud service provider. Some providers may want to use the content you share in the cloud. So it is vital to study data protection policies before using the provider services.
It may seem like there are too many tools developed to protect the user in the digital environment, but the cybersecurity measures should never be underestimated. It is much easier to prevent the threat than to deal with the consequences. (Source: thetechrim)
Happy learning!