Virtual Storage Safety: Keeping Cloud Secure

Cloud services are offered mainly for backup purposes and to maximize data storage without keeping everything in one location. Businesses use cloud data for easy file sharing and seamless work-tracking.

But the question remains--are cloud accounts safe? What can be done to keep personal and business files secure?

Before choosing a cloud service to use, it is important to do some research. Check if the service provider has solid security policies and a good reputation. And after signing up for a cloud account, make sure that your computer or gadget is on an encrypted connection before downloading or uploading data. You will know the connection is encrypted if there is a padlock icon beside the address, or if it has https:// (http secure) before the Web address.

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If using cloud storage for business purposes, control who can see, upload, or edit files online by managing user access. Most online storage services give notifications when changes in files and folders are made.

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Most importantly, know your options if you lose your data, or your account gets hacked. These options are listed when you sign the terms and conditions before you receive your account. Understand your user rights, and know what you can do in case your account gets compromised.  

Leverage the right cloud solutions for your business needs. Learn about the services offered by CITOC by visiting its official website.

Yes Filter: The Role of Firewalls in Strengthening Online Security

With a massive amount of data being sent to and processed in the Web or on hard drives, it has become a fundamental measure for companies to strengthen the security of their online network. Hacking and data theft are recurrent threats to many businesses, particularly in the finance and creative industries. Thus, many have invested in and built “firewalls” to prevent unauthorized access to or from their private network. This structure is either in the form of hardware or software, but could also be a combination of both. Firewalls were designed primarily to protect network traffic and connections. All messages entering or leaving the premises must pass through the firewall, which analyzes each message and filters out those that do not meet specific security guidelines. There are several types of firewalls, the most common of which being:

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• Packet filtering. One of the most basic firewall forms, this system examines each packet (unit of data) entering or leaving the network and decides whether to accept or reject it based on user-defined rules. Packet filtering is effective in most counts but it is quite challenging to configure and is prone to IP spoofing.

• Circuit-level gateway implementation. This type of firewall works best on security mechanisms with established Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP). It monitors TCP or UDP handshaking between packets to determine whether a requested session is legitimate.

• Proxy server. Proxy servers, which hide the true network address of computers, were designed to add structure and encapsulation to distributed systems. The firewall capabilities of proxies lie in the fact that they can be configured to allow only certain types of traffic to pass.

•  Web application firewall (WAF). This firewall is a device or software filter that applies a set of rules to a conversation involving HTTP. Such rules are generally customized to the application so that many attacks can be identified and blocked.

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CITOC is an award-winning IT consulting service providing businesses throughout Houston and Southeast Texas with tailored, cost-effective, and reliable IT, cloud, and cyber security solutions. Know more about the company by visiting its website.