How to Ensure Security During Cloud Migration

A critical concern for every company planning to migrate to the cloud is ensuring data security across every phase of the migration process. Although prominent cloud vendors simplify the migration process to the best possible extent, eventually, data security during cloud migration remains the company’s responsibility that undergoes it. Accordingly, if you are about to migrate your data to the cloud, consider these factors to ensure data security during the process.

7 Tips to Ensure Data Security During Cloud Migration  

1. Know What You have

Data storage was once a trivial concern, about which a lot of companies were least bothered. But then came the data wave that woke up every such enterprise and made them realize the present and futuristic significance of data.

So, for companies that plan for data migration, it is imperative to take stock of data content, its current and future usability, the extent to which the data is conforming to storage and retention policies within the company’s data governance framework, and how safely can the company dispose of the data.

Fortunately, the availability of several data management tools simplifies the process of understanding data content. Such tools must be optimized without letting redundant data pile. That’s because, unless legally required, such data can become a liability, especially when a security breach takes place. So, companies that have been nurturing massive stocks of unnecessary data in their storage space must leverage the migration opportunity to clean up redundant data.

2. Confine Data Access

One of the keys to enhancing data security during cloud migration is to restrict end-user access to data required to perform the respective tasks. Once the migration is done, end-users should regain access to the data they need to do their job. Additionally, deploying a two or multi-factor authentication for access control during the migration process. Multi-factor authentication improves data security, as it requires even authorized users to access a set of restricted data.

Further, you can also dedupe data. It compresses the amount of data to be migrated and helps shrink the footprint required to store new data. By bringing about a considerable reduction in the volume of the data to be migrated, deduplication can help reduce costs and contribute to enhanced data security.

3. Perform A Phased Migration

You’ve identified that cloud migration is necessary for your business. However, do not hurry up to migrate everything at once. Instead, do it in phases. It helps enhance data security by allowing your team to get accustomed to cloud systems. Start with low priority data to be able to unload a few of your storage-related resources with thus control risk. Further, you can test configuration and identify security gaps before you begin transferring high-risk or critical data.

Additionally, phased migration allows you time to think and do what is necessary to secure your data. It helps avoid errors that may leave data insecure or provide unauthorized data access erroneously in the wake of quick migration.

4. Know Compliance Needs

Compliance is another crucial aspect to consider. Before you begin with the migration process, understand the regulatory requirements that might apply to your data. You must understand the storage, encryption, backup, and transfer requirements. This holds true particularly in the case of companies from highly regulated sectors.

Many service providers possess compliance certifications for the most common regulations such as PCI-DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA. With these certifications as well, you might be required to remove personally identifiable information before you start the migration process. Remember, non-compliance is a critical concern, and although cloud providers offer tools to enable the fulfillment of compliance, it is you who would bear the brunt in case of non-conformance.

5. Perform Data Encryption

One of the most significant steps to ensure data security during cloud migration is to encrypt your data both at rest and in transit. Data is prone to attacks or theft when exposed to the internet. So, ensure you use secure transport protocols, such as HTTPS, while the data transfer process is in progress. If your cybersecurity provider offers, you can transfer data through an appliance. However, ensure that the data is encrypted before the appliance steps out of your premises. Additionally, while transferring data, you must encrypt your storage device before you transfer data onto it.

6. Centralize the Monitoring Aspect

Moving to the cloud, in a way, might increase the number of attack opportunities. But while managing these threats, you cannot overlook the security aspect of your existing systems. Migration induces a range of cloud and on-premise tools in the cyber ecosystem of your organization. To ensure efficient management of these tools, you must monitor them centrally and provide quicker and more consistent identification and responsiveness to vulnerabilities and threats.

7. Sanitize Your Data

Do not forget to sanitize your data. Consult with experts about the process to wipe your storage media. Deploying the appropriate wiping technology that offers robust workflows and enhanced process visibility should help you wipe your storage media efficiently and securely.

Keep Your Data Secure with Alliant’s Cloud Migration Solutions 

As one of the top cybersecurity providers in the US, Alliant Cybersecurity works as an external partner, integral to your in-house teams, and devises cloud migration data security solutions to keep your data secure. The company leverages the right tools and technologies coupled with strategies to ensure optimal data security across the complex process of data migration. To know more, write to Alliant’s experts at [email protected].