What to Do When Cloud Security Is Compromised

A compromised network is a stressful event for any organization. It can feel like a complete loss of control, causing feelings of uncertainty about what to do next. Prepare now for what you’ll do if your company experiences a cloud security breach.

Don’t Panic

It can be easy to get swept up in the panic of a security breach. After all, information about the breach is not always readily available at the time of the incident, and it can be nerve-racking to say the least. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath and collect your thoughts before beginning to assess the situation. Next, you’ll want to get your IT department, your hosting provider, and your cloud software provider on the phone to discuss the next steps.

Identify the Breach

If you are able to easily identify where the breach came from, or have a good idea of how it might have happened, discuss this with your IT professionals. If they know where to start, they’ll be better equipped to get to the root of the breach and prevent any additional information from being compromised.

If you are unsure how the breach happened, let your IT team know immediately. Give them specific information about what you do know, but make sure to stick to the facts. Don’t assume that the breach happened in a specific department or because of a specific person unless you know this information as a fact.  Sending your IT team down a rabbit hole that doesn’t necessarily have a constructive outcome can lead to further damage and compromised data.

Minimize Additional Compromises

To keep the breach under control, minimize the amount of people who are currently working within the software that has been compromised. Discontinue any further work by non-essential personnel until the breach can be remedied. This might seem like a big dent in the office productivity, but unfortunately the only way to stop a leak on a ship is to prevent the opportunity for increased hull damage, and the same is true of cloud security.

Identify the breach, minimize personnel access, and then work towards finding a solution.

For the Future

In order to prevent this breach from happening again in the future, be sure to create a contingency plan for potential events. Work with your IT team and the cloud software service to create a plan for the proper procedures in which to follow, should another breach occur.

Ensure that cloud security is a top priority among your employees and team members. Practice secure cloud software use by making sure that employees are following multi-factor identification procedures, changing their passwords regularly, and only using work based software on secure networks that have been previously approved by your organization.

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