This article originially appeared in Digital Guardian here. By Digital Guardian, October 8, 2014
Keeping sensitive information secure from theft and vulnerability in today's digital world isn’t as easy as putting a lock on the file cabinet - especially with the widespread adoption of cloud computing. And even if you take every precaution with your online accounts and identifying information, there are many ways that information can land in another individual or company’s data management systems, where it can then somehow be made vulnerable. At Digital Guardian we specialize in helping businesses manage and secure various types of company data. Our top priority is helping our customers keep their sensitive data where it belongs and as secure as possible. To get a better picture of the current state of enterprise data protection we interviewed data security experts on what matters most when securing sensitive data. To do this, we asked 34 data security experts to answer this question: "What's the #1 biggest mistake companies make when it comes to securing sensitive data?" We’ve collected and compiled their expert advice into this comprehensive guide to effectively securing your company’s sensitive data. See what our experts said below. ...
Accessibility to information anytime and anywhere makes the cloud an attractive option for companies looking for assistance with storing sensitive data. Before a company decides to store critical information in the cloud, there needs to be a level of trust with the cloud vendor it chooses. The biggest mistake companies make when deciding to store sensitive data in the cloud is… Choosing the wrong vendor. An error in judgment or shortening of the vetting process of prospective cloud vendors can leave a company vulnerable, because information thought to be secure could actually be accessed by hackers. Often times, companies face issues related to security and accessibility when it partners with a cloud vendor that does not confirm where the data will be stored. This could lead to increased retrieval time for information or data breaches in the most extreme cases. The ideal vendor for a company is a solution provider that stores information off-site in a U.S.-based data center that is under lock and key, physically and logically. From the data center, the cloud vendor will have the capability to transmit sensitive data to a company's headquarters, satellite offices or to staff members working via the cloud using 256 bit encryption. The cloud vendor will have security protocols in place to ensure or restrict access to information as appropriate and the IT staff overseeing the data storage and retrieval processes will undergo thorough background checks. When a company partners with a cloud vendor it trusts, it can rest assured that sensitive data is secure. Companies can save themselves from making the critical mistake of choosing the wrong vendor by simply doing their due diligence. This involves checking references, confirming with prospective vendors where data is stored and the lengths they will go to physically and philosophically protect relevant information. (Read more on the full article PDF : 2014-10-08 Digital Guardian)