Secure data storage requires a risk analysis to build a network architecture adapted to your project and the type of users.
Viruses, Trojans, worms and ransomware are just some of the malicious codes to which your most sensitive data can be exposed, so applying measures such as access control or immutable storage is essential.
In order to familiarize yourself with these concepts so that you can enhance the security of your information, we are going to explain what is meant by secure data storage and the best practices that you can apply.
We will also detail the most significant challenges of data storage in the cloud.
What is secure data storage?
Secure data storage is the set of measures, configurations and criteria that ensure that stored resources are accessible only to authorized users and protects them from loss or theft.
In other words, it is all the resources that must be in place to ensure that the stored digital information is protected from any type of unauthorized access attempt.
It covers different areas of digital security, including network security controls and cyber threat analysis, physical security of equipment, communication protocols and user behavior.
The basic security features that a storage network must meet are as follows:
- It must be easily accessible to authorized persons and very complicated for any outsider.
- It must remain stable and secure, regardless of environmental conditions or specific contexts.
- It must have security mechanisms against all types of online threats of the order of ransomware, viruses, Trojans, etc.
- It must protect the integrity of the data and its availability to be modified, updated, etc. by the authorized person.
Also, beyond the data, secure data storage must be able to protect the privacy of the people who access it.
What is secure cloud data storage?
Secure cloud data storage covers the measures necessary to protect the integrity and security of information stored on remote servers accessed through an Internet connection.
It must meet the security requirements of any type of data storage with the added challenge of online connections.
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How is secure data storage achieved? Best practices
If you want to achieve secure data storage you need to consider the following best practices:
Encryption of sensitive data
Data encryption is the basis for the protection of stored data.
For example, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption is a symmetric encryption that has been standardized and is often used to provide private and secure browsing in a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Whatever type of encryption you use, it must be constantly updated and the keys must be stored in a secure location.
Access control
Each device, software or infrastructure used for data storage must have an access control that discriminates, preferably, between access levels according to the use that will be made of the information.
Among the solutions that you can implement to avoid social engineering, multi-factor authentication is a very effective model that combines several methods of verification of the profile or system that tries to access the stored data.
Digital hygiene
Digital hygiene comprises a series of practices and resources focused on protecting the digital identity of individuals that it is advisable to apply to data storage.
One of the measures is to remove all unused services from your storage system and the devices through which you access it to limit potential security breaches.
Immutable storage
Immutable storage is a storage protocol that functions as a time capsule for documents, i.e., it keeps them intact for an indefinite or specified period of time.
While the information remains in this storage, it cannot be manipulated under any pretext to maintain data integrity.
However, it can be consulted. In other words, it is a write-once, read-multiple system.
Protection against the main detected threats
Before choosing an information storage system, it is advisable to carry out an analysis of the risks to which documents may be exposed by their nature, handling or exposure.
This makes it possible to create an adapted architecture based on the implementation of security layers, but also to select the necessary protection against possible threats such as viruses, worms or Trojans, malware or any other type of cyberthreat that can corrupt files.
Zero trust architecture
Zero trust architecture is based on the assumption that every request for access to data, whether internal or external, must be validated and its legitimacy authenticated, regardless of the individual’s background.
Informing users about security policies
It is just as important to have secure data storage as it is for the people who are going to use it to know how to do so securely.
To this end, it is necessary to inform everyone who is going to work with the system or access it about data security policies through protocols appropriate to the nature of the information.
External tape storage
External tape storage is a backup system based on the concept of data redundancy, a way of protecting information from loss or attack by keeping copies in different locations.
In that sense, this type of storage goes beyond local backup and recovery copies, since they are stored on tapes located in a different place from the main one, increasing their level of protection.
This makes it possible to recover information if it has been compromised by cyber-attacks such as ransomware.
Data Loss Prevention
Many digital security experts advise implementing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions to prevent information leakage, i.e., that any user can take internal information to external platforms or systems.
This type of system can be easily implemented through standardized templates.
Secure data transfer
Secure data storage must also consider secure data transfer to guarantee information security with protocols such as SFTP (Secure Files Transfer Protocol), FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure), HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) or MFT (Managed File Transfer).
Challenges of data storage security
Knowing the challenges of data storage security helps you to foresee the protection measures you need.
Generally, they are classified among:
- Internal risks.
Among the most significant internal risks are the lack of training on data processing security policies, malicious actions of disgruntled employees, or carelessness due to saturation or fatigue.
This can result in a total or partial loss of data or in an information leak that can affect the continuity of your company.
- External risks.
External risks can also be different and range from cyber-attacks to fires, floods or any other natural disaster that may affect physical storage systems.
Limiting vulnerabilities, such as lack of encryption, not having user authentication systems or not implementing training in security protocols, is crucial to avoid endangering your information.
At Smowltech we are very aware that security is an essential pillar in any type of digital exchange, so we have developed proctoring plans that allow you to remotely monitor your users and their environment respectfully and securely.
Request a free demo and discover the innovative solutions that we can put at the service of your project.
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