A cloud migration can be a game changer for your business. Whether it’s an email migration to Microsoft 365 or an entire system shift, your business can expect all kinds of benefits. That said, a cloud migration isn’t without its security risks. But if you adhere to a series of best practices, your cloud migration should be secure and seamless.
Plan
Decide on what kind of cloud you want to migrate to – public, private or hybrid – and what migration strategy you’ll employ. You might want to rehost: moving your data and apps to The Cloud with zero change. Or re-platform: migrating and modifying your data to fit the new cloud infrastructure. Or refactor: completely redesigning apps to make them cloud native. Beyond deciding on these basics, you’ll want to map out all your processes. For your apps and data you’ll need a clear plan for where it will go, when it will go, and the security policies that govern them.
Minimise any common risks
An absolute basic; make sure that you’re following common cybersecurity best practices. Some quick wins might be checking to see if your passwords are complex enough or that you have multi-factor authentication across the board.
Understand shared responsibility
You’ll be responsible for different elements of data depending on the type of cloud service you choose. For example, if you’re SaaS based you’ll only be responsible for your endpoints and your data. If you’re PaaS based (Platform as a Service), you’ll also need to handle your applications. And if you’re Infrastructure as a Service based (IaaS), then you’ll also be responsible for your operating system and your middleware.
Perform a risk assessment
With all the data you migrate, you’ll need to know what security risks there might be and how risky they are. For example, some information might be highly sensitive so make sure your security measures reflect your data’s relative risks.
Make sure you’re monitoring things centrally
During and after the migration you’ll find your security tools are scattered between The Cloud and your on-premises IT. Make sure you can view your security resources from one, single, easy to use dashboard. A Security Information and Event Management solution can do this and be the ideal method for detecting and responding to threats.
Encrypt data
When the data is at rest and in transit it needs to be protected from the prying eyes of the internet. If using a storage device, encrypt that too before placing any data on it. Also, make sure you’re using secure transport protocols such as HTTPS, during data transfers.
A phased migration might be wise
Transferring data in different stages lets you do things like identify bugs, lets your team develop familiarity with cloud systems, and test your cloud set up as you go. This means that any security errors you’re making will be smaller and not affect your entire system.
Cloud migrations have plenty of moving parts so whilst the above is a good start, there’s certainly more to cover if you want to ensure your business is adequately protected. At RAD we’ve been performing safe, efficiently executed cloud migrations for years. So, if you’re looking to migrate and would like to work with experienced experts, click below to book a meeting with a cloud migration expert today.
Book a meeting with a cloud migration expert.
