Best Practices for Keeping the Cloud Secure

One of the common concerns about moving data and services away from a premise-based solution is that of security in the cloud. In security, old adages still hold true today. There is no one silver bullet when it comes to security; whether you’re dealing with premise-based or cloud based solutions, your best strategy for security is still Defense in Depth.

Some of the most important standard components and services that you want to continue to build in depth in the cloud include:

1. Firewall
2. IDS/IPS
3. SIM/SEM Monitoring
4. Anti-Virus
5. Anti-Malware/Web Reputation

Additionally, there are three key things you’ll want to double-check with your selected cloud services provider, because they usually fell under your purview before your migration to the cloud:

1. Does the provider hold themselves to a compliance based standard for operations, like SOC or ISO?
2. Do you know where your data resides?  Is it in country?  Does the provider have a high standard for physical controls?
3. Encryption at Rest: What happens when your service provider replaces a drive? Is your data still on it and obtainable?

If you’re still using premise-based solutions, and are concerned about security in cloud computing, it’s important to do your due diligence in selecting a provider. Since the beginning, we at Evolve IP recognized that security management and data integrity are critical requirements that our customers demand, especially those customers that have formal compliance regulations.

The right service provider will have the appropriate certifications and technology in place to keep your data secure. Evolve IP is not only a cloud services company, but also a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP), experienced in protecting, reporting and auditing enterprise customer environments. We are SOC 3 certified, PCI-ASV certified and are a registered and participating member of CSA Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR). These are essential components that you need to ensure that your cloud provider offers, to help you maintain the level of security you have historically maintained for your company.

About Joseph Pedano

As SVP, Data Engineering at Evolve IP, I make sure our data architecture is continually developed and our network is performing optimally for customers and internal systems. Throughout my career, I've had great exposure to numerous networking technologies, Internet topologies, and industry-best operations practices. Before joining Evolve IP, I engineered ATX's FrontLine suite of Managed Services Products. FrontLine reshaped ATX into a next-generation provider, and the product won Communications Solutions magazine's Product of the Year Award for 2005. I am a proud graduate of St. Joseph's University, where I received a bachelor's degree in computer science (I also minored in math, economics, and Spanish). I currently live in King of Prussia. I always say that those who work hard have to play hard, so there are a lot of activities that I enjoy outside of work. The addition of a Kawasaki 300X in the stable definitely makes time fly.