Cloud computing is everywhere these days. It allows employees to work from anywhere and helps businesses to scale up rapidly. But using the cloud can come with a steep learning curve. Read on to learn how to make the cloud more efficiently for you!
1. Employ CWPP
Each cloud computing setup is different. You may have several overlapping service providers, along with legacy applications that are housed on site. Throw in developers using code from places like GitHub, and it can be an ungainly system.
That’s why Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP) is a key part of any cloud security. Essentially, CWPP helps you keep track of different cloud workloads and their security situations without having to do the digging yourself.
2. Use a Load Balancer
A cloud system is located in many different physical locations and can be quite large. It’s essential to make sure that traffic is evenly distributed, especially during high-traffic times.
A load balancer uses different algorithms to distribute work based on processing time, response time, and system stability. Not only is work processed more efficiently, but users are less likely to experience outages.
3. Switch to MFA
Multifactor authentication (MFA) means using more than one password to access a system. For instance, entering a password and a code sent to your phone. While sometimes annoying, it’s one of the best things you can do for computer security.
Using the cloud means you often don’t have physical access to the servers that store important employee or customer information. That means you have to employ other techniques to ensure data security. MFA is one of the cheapest and best.
4. Beware of Phishing
Yes, there are far more sophisticated hacking schemes out there, but crooks use phishing because it works. And once criminals get a foothold, they can get into everything you have attached to the cloud.
Educate yourself and your co-workers about what a phishing attack looks like. Always check where an email came from. And always err on the side of caution if you’re not sure.
5. Consider Backup Solutions
Eventually, you or someone else will accidentally delete vital information from your company’s cloud. What next?
Many cloud providers do briefly store deleted data, but you need to know what that time frame is and what you need to do to recover the data. You also need to consider building in redundancy so that key files can be stored in multiple places.
Depending on the industry, your business could be held legally and ethically liable for missing and corrupted data. Make sure you take precautions.
6. Take the Time to Educate Yourself
Cloud computing is new and can be very confusing, especially if you’re new to it. Whatever your role at your company, it’s worth it to take a course or spend some time reading up on it.
Less scrupulous service providers take advantage of naive companies eager to jump on the bandwagon of the latest technology. A little knowledge can help you see through overenthusiastic claims and better understand what will work for you.
7. Beware of “Pay as You Go” Costs
Many cloud platforms charge based on usage. This can be incredibly beneficial, as you can “grow” with the same provider and just pay more as your needs increase.
But, if you’re not careful, you could end up paying more than you planned to. Make sure that you have clear pricing data and build a usage plan that keeps the final bill in check.
Final Thoughts
Cloud computing has the potential to change business as we know it. That’s why it’s worth it to learn how to use cloud computing better.
