From the cityscape of Edmonton to the sunlit coast of Miami, Dalin Owen journey as a leader in information technology is both proven and practical. As CEO of a renowned IT consultancy, he delivers services that integrate robust IT security into corporate environments to maximize performance and protection. Rising from database and server infrastructure expert to Chief Technical Officer at Zenon Corporation—and later holding leadership roles at SherpaOnline, Inc., and Express Communications Group—Dalin honed deep expertise in Linux and FreeBSD administration, secure architecture, and team leadership. A committed learner and philanthropist who supports the Red Cross, he brings conscientiousness and credibility to every engagement.
Cloud-based systems have changed how organizations store, manage, and access data. Unlike traditional storage methods, cloud-based systems provide scalability, cost efficiency, and flexibility. However, as organizations continue to upload critical and sensitive information to the cloud, they must secure it to prevent data breaches.
Cybercriminals and threat actors continue targeting cloud-based data. Threats such as data breaches, unauthorized access, misconfigured services, and ransomware attacks can hurt an organization’s reputation, operations, and finances. Securing cloud environments involves a combination of policies, vigilant monitoring, and advanced security technologies. The implementation and understanding of best practices for securing cloud-based systems maximize the benefits of adopting cloud solutions without compromising safety.
First, organizations must define and enforce efficient cloud security policies by creating well-documented security polices that all executives, management, and staff will follow. These policies should outline acceptable use of cloud services and solutions. The policies should also describe data classification and administration, assigned access, roles, resources, and the step-by-step approach to handling a security breach.
By clearly establishing these policies and rules, companies can reduce the risk of shadow IT, a situation in which employees use unauthorized and insecure applications and systems. Tools like cloud security posture management (CSPM) systems and cloud access security brokers (CASB) help enforce these policies and monitor the cloud environment in real-time, ensuring compliance with established rules and regulations.
Identity management protects user accounts from unauthorized access in cloud environments through strong identity and access management (IAM) practices, which safeguard the cloud system. For instance, organizations must implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts, particularly those with high-level permissions. Phishing-resistant MFA methods, such as physical hardware tokens or WebAuthn (web authentication), often provide stronger protection. Phishing is a cyberattack where attackers deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details, by pretending to be a trustworthy entity. Role-based access control, or RBAC, which involves granting authorization based on an individual’s role, can also help protect data in the cloud from unauthorized user access.
Organizations must encrypt sensitive information to protect it from unauthorized access during storage and transmission over the network. They can use modern encryption standards, such as AES-256, for storing data, and TLS 1.3 for transmitting data. Modern encryption standards help store decryption keys securely, preferably in hardware security modules or through dedicated key management services that keep data unreadable and secure in the event of a breach.
Adopting a zero-trust architecture means never assuming anything inside the network is automatically safe. Every user, device, and application must go through continuous authentication and authorization. By using micro-segmentation and robust identity verification, organizations can restrict lateral movement and mitigate the impact of attacks.
Endpoint security plays a crucial role in protecting business operations. Laptops, mobile devices, and other endpoints should run on advanced protection platforms, receive regular patches, and connect to cloud services only through secure VPN access. Combining these protections with firewalls, network segmentation, and private connections helps block unauthorized access and keep data safe.
Further, organizations can align practices with recognized international standards. They can adopt frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27017, which focuses on cloud-specific security controls, and ISO/IEC 27018, which addresses the protection of personal data in public clouds. By following these standards, companies enhance their security posture, meet regulatory requirements, and build trust through adherence to globally recognized best practices.
Finally, cloud security requires safeguarding information by preparing for data loss or corruption. Organizations can use immutable backup storage to prevent the alteration and deletion of backups during ransomware attacks. They can also test recovery procedures to ensure the swift restoration of systems in the event of a disruption.