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FROM THE BLOG

Two Security Risks When File Sharing in the Cloud

July 6, 2022

File sharing has become a backbone of business. Employees today rely on cloud-based file sharing for easy, convenient access to their documents from any place, at any time. But have you ever stopped to consider how this free flow of information could bring your company to a grinding halt? The fact of the matter is that every time you upload a file to the cloud, you are handing over sensitive business data to a third-party service, who may or may not be working with your best interest at heart.

There isn’t always sunshine and rainbows surrounding the cloud, so think about these risks before you share your next document:

When the cloud is offline, you’re offline

For businesses that are dependent on the cloud, one outage could ruin an entire day of productivity. A 2022 study found that 80% of data center managers experienced an outage over a three-year period. Additionally, 60% of outages resulted in over $100,000 of losses. Before you invest in a cloud-based system, ask yourself if your business can efficiently function in the event of a prolonged outage.  

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The cloud is vulnerable to attacks

Every year, companies all over the world suffer from large-scale data breaches that expose sensitive customer information. In the last 18 months, 79% of companies have experienced at least one cloud data breach. Even more alarmingly, 43% have reported 10 or more breaches in that time.

Hackers are always looking for an easy target and follow the path of least resistance. What’s easier than a target who stores sensitive or personal data in one convenient location? While cloud storage providers constantly strive to stay ahead of privacy and security, the reality is that it only takes one weak password to compromise your entire business.  

In 2021, some of the largest enterprises suffered from a cloud-based data breach. For instance, Accenture fell victim to the LockBit ransomware attack and reportedly had 6 terabytes of data stolen. Earlier in the year, Facebook’s AWS cloud solution was breached, resulting in user data being exposed. These are some of the largest enterprises on the planet, with resources that far exceed small and midsize enterprises. If hackers can breach their cloud solutions, what is stopping them from setting their sights on SMEs?  

Heed data security warning signs

Meteorologists across the country take great care to warn us about impending poor weather.  We watch for signs such as dark skies and increasing cloud cover that signal a potential storm.  It’s just as important to pay attention to cloud-storage warning signs, such as cloud outages, security vulnerabilities, and exploited data. Ignore these is akin to hosting a family picnic and having it ruined in spite of severe weather warning message.

Don’t assume that the cloud is secure and that there is continuous up-time.  Go beyond passwords to protect your data. Just because your data is behind a password in the cloud doesn’t mean it’s secure.  

What can you do?  You can encrypt your data. For most of us, encryption sound hard.  

What if you had an easy way to secure your data, no matter where it is, without having to do any coding or encrypting? That’s completely possible with EB Control. Click here to discover how EB Control can help you weather any brewing storms.

WRITTEN BY
EverythingBlockchain
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