One of the main issues with cloud computing, which businesses should assess before deciding to use this technology, is data security. According to Kumar et al. (2018), this issue has four dimensions, each of which is related to different aspects of data security. The first type of data security issue is challenges with confidentiality, integrity, and availability (Kumar et al., 2018). It refers to maintaining consistency, trustworthiness, and accuracy of data. The second dimension includes issues with authentication and access control (Kumar et al., 2018). Problems in this area can arise if the company does not use highly secure authentication methods for users and machines. The third category contains issues with broken authentication, access, and session control (Kumar et al., 2018). Such problems may occur when restrictions on what users can do in the system are not enforced properly. The final type includes other data security issues such as backup and data location.
Companies may suffer significant negative consequences if they fail to address data security issues because, nowadays, data constitute the core of many businesses. First of all, security issues in cloud computing open large opportunities for hackers’ activity. For example, they can launch DDoS attacks or use the company’s cloud services for mining cryptocurrency, thus leading to high economic losses. Furthermore, data security issues can lead to data breaches, giving away sensitive corporate and customer information.
There are several ways for businesses to overcome data security issues. First, they should develop and implement policies identifying sensitive data and determining who and how can share these data. They should also use strong encryption algorithms and never store the encryption keys together with the encrypted data. For authentication, the use of API keys is preferred over passwords, and the utilization of multi-factor authentication can be considered.
Reference
Kumar, P. R., Raj, P. H., & Jelciana, P. (2018). Exploring data security issues and solutions in cloud computing. Procedia Computer Science, 125, 691-697.