For businesses migrating to the cloud, data security is a top priority. You save yourself a world of hassle, not to mention time and money, by planning for a safe transition to the cloud. Organizational security policies, legal and compliance considerations, and other best practices in cloud security are just a few you must consider before moving to the cloud.
Every business must migrate its data and applications with no interruptions or at least with minimal downtime. Therefore, preparation is essential for a successful transfer. Although this process might seem intimidating due to its complexity, companies have started investing in the cloud. Here’s a quick rundown on cloud migration, how to implement a safe transition, and how what steps you must take to prepare for it.
What Is Cloud Migration?
The term ‘cloud migration’ refers to transferring digital business operations to the cloud. Moving to the cloud is similar to moving to a new place. But instead of physically moving your equipment, you move your data, apps, and IT processes between different data centers. Moving to the cloud is similar to moving from a smaller office to a larger one. Both moves need meticulous planning and preparation ahead of time.
Still, the payoff can be significant, especially with reducing overhead costs and increasing flexibility. Refer to switching from on-premises or traditional infrastructure to cloud computing. In other contexts, cloud migration can mean moving data or applications from one cloud service to another.
Guidelines To Ensure A Stable Cloud Migration
Unless you have an in-house IT team, migrating to the cloud on your own might not be the best idea. Hiring reliable cloud or IT service providers like Isowire should be your first step as they offer a wide variety of premium services to help your transition. You can also leverage their expertise and ensure fewer mistakes while migrating your data and operations. Here are four tips you must consider to make the migration smoother:
1. Conduct An Audit For Your Files And Data
Businesses must improve their habit of keeping data even after it has become obsolete. Regularly check what your team can still use and what you can delete. When you do transition to the cloud, continuing to audit your data is still ideal.
Given your data’s importance, auditing what data you have before your move is vital. Fortunately, there are various data management technologies that can make auditing your data more accessible. Reach out to your IT department or your IT service provider if they have the tools to check all your essential data accurately and securely.
2. Adhere To Data Compliance Requirements
Factoring in your system’s compliance is a crucial step when you transition to the cloud. However, research what laws and standards might apply to your data first before you begin the migration process. You should also know what measures you must take for safety and security while archiving, encrypting, backing up, and transferring your data. This is especially for businesses operating in heavily regulated industries.
Furthermore, service providers take verification and compliance seriously. Most IT service providers adhere to industry standards like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
It’s also possible that before beginning the migration, you must delete personally identifiable information based on these laws. Remember that not complying with the rules can pose a big problem for your business. And while cloud service providers offer tools to help with compliance, you’re responsible for the results if you don’t follow the rules.
3. Remember To Encrypt Your Data
When moving to the cloud, encrypting data, whatever step you are in the process, is critical. Due to its exposure to the internet, data in transit is particularly at risk. If you want to keep your information safe, using a secure transport protocol like Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is best.
Another way to move heavy data is to use a transfer app or tool from a third party or your service provider. If you use a tool to send data to the cloud, ensure the tool has sufficient encryption. If you want to keep your information safe, never forget to encrypt your device.
4. Restrict Access And Control Deduplication
Most organizations manage their data by restricting access to authorized individuals. This process ensures that end users see only the information relevant to their roles. By doing so, you know you protect your confidential information during the transition to the cloud. After the data migration, the data the users need to do their jobs will still be available.
On the other hand, deduplication, usually termed deduping is a data-compression or transfer strategy. As a result of deduplication, your new data storage will require less space to complete the migration. When moving to the cloud, you can save money without sacrificing security by reducing the data you plan to move.
Takeaway
Without a proper data security strategy, migrating to the cloud can leave you vulnerable. Inadequate data security policies can leave your database wide open to attack throughout the move. As a result, hackers and other criminal elements can easily breach your sensitive information without little resistance. Therefore, follow the guidelines above for cloud migration security to keep your company’s most valuable asset safe when you move to the cloud.
