Cloud adoption continues to soar. More than two-thirds of small to mid-sized businesses intend to increase their use of cloud technologies over the next few years. While the cloud comes with many security benefits, it also carries unique concerns.

As the cloud becomes increasingly central to business operations, cloud security should be a priority. Businesses must ensure this security from the ground up, not add it in later as an afterthought. These five strategies can help build a more secure cloud for 2022.

1. Review Cloud Data and Configurations Regularly

Even with a secure cloud design, businesses should never assume they’re safe. The cloud’s scalability and ease of use makes it easy to forget what users store on it or how it may change as it expands. This can lead to unpatched vulnerabilities.

Businesses can address these vulnerabilities by regularly reviewing their cloud storage and architecture. If they find any files or systems they’re not using anymore, they should delete them or move them somewhere else. Minimizing this data will mitigate potential breaches and make it easier to manage the cloud.

Similarly, businesses should regularly check their cloud security configurations. Misconfiguration is the number-one cause of cloud breaches, so it’s important never to assume a system is working as it should. Periodic misconfiguration tests can reveal and help patch these vulnerabilities.

2. Give Thought to Physical Considerations

Clouds should be secure by design, so companies must consider security when mapping out their systems and building data centers. That includes physical considerations like proper cooling and storage redundancy to ensure uptime.

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