The safety concept evolves to the rhythm of the changes happening in their own solutions. Business mobility, the flood of devices in the workplace, SaaS applications and cloud have transformed the business operation and as the increase of these solutions and availability of data grows, have also grown global compliance requirements, along with the sophistication of hackers.
Although companies are well aware of the many benefits offered by the cloud and before this new phase of digital transformation, many IT managers questioned Is the data and infrastructure of my company protected in the cloud?
This is the first post in a series of articles that will delve into the whole theme of cloud security and intelligent security solutions that provide us with Microsoft Office 365 and Azure.
How does Microsoft maintain a secure cloud?
Since Microsoft decided to focus its efforts on its cloud services (Azure and Office 365), he has always accompanied its service offering systems and security tools pointers information. In fact, Microsoft is one of the companies in the Top 5 that invest in developing and improving security products, surpassing the one billion dollars annually.
Microsoft’s approach to protect their cloud services is holistic, that is, provides all levels of service and implements solutions to safeguard customer information wherever you are. From its hubs data processing, where information is stored, to the device from which a customer uses the data of your company, Microsoft is responsible for protecting the privacy and integrity of information for anyone or anything to affect or alter the business of its customers.
In the struggle to keep their information secure cloud services, Microsoft divides its security strategy in 4 large blocks, each designed to protect a different aspect of the service components:
Identity
The identity protects the weakest link in the business environment: people. It is estimated that about 52% of security breaches in 2016 are the result of human error. Leaving an open computer without blocking, using passwords too simple, opening email from unknown senders, etc … A human error can lead to privileged access to internal systems and services and the theft and / or destruction of confidential information of the organization. One of the right to protect the identity of users ways is by training a well-fitting risks to the organization; although not enough.
How does Microsoft cloud help us to protect identity?
Microsoft makes available to its customers a range of tools that allow users to protect their access to organizational information technologies dual access verification, conditional access services based on location, device and application, risk analysis for user access according to their activity, anomaly detection and suspicious activities, etc …
In the next article we will discuss these tools and services that Microsoft offers to help protect the identity of users:
- Multi-factor
- Identity Threat Protection
- App Cloud Security
- Office 365 ATP
- conditional access
- GDPR
Devices
Second, the devices must be protected. The use of mobile devices in the business environment is gaining ground to computers at an accelerated pace, opening a range of advantages over mobility and productivity of workers. Parallel also increases the risk of security incidents given the limitations in control you may have the IT department regarding these devices, especially if the organization opts for a philosophy of BYOD (bring your own device), ie, that each Use your personal device to access corporate information. With this type of business philosophies saves investment costs in new equipment, but lose visibility into who, how, and when accessing data of the company.
Loss or theft of mobile devices is the main risk factor in information security, giving rise to the theft of confidential data and even identity theft device user.
How does Microsoft cloud help us to protect devices?
Microsoft offers several tools to take control access to corporate information from mobile devices. We can not only control if we allow or not access corporate data from devices, but we can control what types of devices we allow access, establish requirements for devices to allow access to certain data (complex passwords, biometric access, etc.), in addition to controlling which applications are considered corporate and allowing the use of organizational data. In the third part of this series of articles you talk about the safe management of devices accessing corporate information and tools to protect mobile devices that Microsoft offers:
- Mobile Device Management
- conditional access
Data
Third, the data must be protected from the organization, for the information of our company is one of the most valuable assets that exist, and as such have to have it well protected. In fact, colloquially it says you should well protect your castle, but is never less put a good lock your treasure. The reason for data protection is not simply to prevent someone from stealing, but also to know how they are using, where they are stored, who is accessing them and even prevent sensitive data from leaking to the organization.
How does Microsoft cloud help us to protect data?
Microsoft includes tools for monitoring and auditing data stored on its cloud services, giving visibility of how information is consumed and where, greatly improving the governance processes of corporate information.
Additionally we can add controls for certain types of information that are sensitive for the company, such as customer data that may violate any data protection law, confidential business data such as financial and tax information; which does not allow to know if is being performed and even malicious misuse of this data. We can even keep in check those files that we share with other partner organizations, giving us visibility into who accessed and from where; We can also revoke access to files even if they are not within the limits of our IT infrastructure.
You can find these tools and more, in the fourth part of this series of articles Protecting data in your company, wherever it is:
- Audit
- DLP
- eDiscovery
- Azure Information Protection
- RMS Tracking
Infrastructure
In the fourth and last block we will talk about how we can protect our company infrastructure thanks to connected cloud services.
Many of the existing services in the traditional infrastructure include firewalls, monitoring systems, antivirus, antimalware, etc. which they are very useful to prevent security incidents classic, but new techniques used by attackers are specifically designed to prevent these security controls. For this reason it is necessary to modernize the control systems and access to appropriate technologies to new threats.
How does Microsoft cloud help us to protect infrastructure?
Microsoft has made a step forward with its holistic view of security controls for now occupy all levels of service, with visibility from Windows 10 devices to cloud services such as Azure and Office 365. With this control capability Microsoft he has made available to its customers an important set of tools to protect systems with cloud infrastructure, infrastructure at home and even hybrid infrastructure. Since devices with Windows 10 controls biometric identification, protection systems against malicious software and boot always safe operating system until detection systems security breaches to detect suspicious activity both the network and the devices themselves, and even understand the origin and evolution of an attack on the security of organizational data.
You can find these and other tools in the fifth part of this series of articles on security threats to your infrastructure:
- ATA
- Windows Defender ATP
What Softeng can do for you
Softeng which has recently been awarded by Microsoft as the best Cloud partner of the year, offers its experience and quality to help you map out and agree on the most appropriate strategy for your business to the cloud will rise gradually, in stages, without quebraderos head, safely and starting to have advantages, benefits and savings from the outset. In addition, we help you implement and take advantage of all the security tools you have explained in this post.
You want to know more? Contact us!