Is cloud computing a major part of your business? If yes, how long has it been since your last cloud computing security assessment? With 46% of high earners in South Africa adopting a hybrid working approach, companies are turning towards cloud computing at a rapid rate.

As a result of the digital revolution, cyber security threats are becoming more advanced day by day. 

So if you haven’t thought of getting a digital asset security assessment yet, here’s why you shouldn’t neglect the issue any longer.

Overview of what cloud computing and digital asset security assessment is

A cloud computing security assessment is an in-depth evaluation of a cloud-based system's vulnerabilities and potential risks. Using a cloud-based system for your business means storing highly confidential data on remote servers.

A cloud computing security assessment enables businesses to identify and resolve the gaps in their cloud infrastructure that could result in data breaches or loss.

The key steps of a cloud computing security assessment include the following;

1. Asset Identification

The first step is identifying all of your cloud security assets. This includes third-party integrations, employee information, financial records, and other trade secrets that could cause chaos if leaked.

2. Data Classification

After you identify all the assets of your cloud system, they will be classified according to the sensitivity of the information. This will give you an understanding of what assets are more at risk than others. Once you know which assets to prioritise in terms of protection, you’ll be able to make optimal changes to your cloud system.

3. Threat Identification

In this step, tests will be done to identify internal and external threats that can harm your cloud system. This includes malicious insiders as well as hackers from outside your company. The assessment team will do thorough penetration testing to judge how easy or difficult it is to access the data on your cloud.

4. Risk Evaluation

Once you’re given a detailed report of which threats and risks are more likely to affect your cloud system, you can determine the scale of damage each threat can cause. Some threats will be found more likely to occur than others.

5. Problem Resolution

With comprehensive information regarding the vulnerabilities of your cloud system, it’s time to resolve all these problems by taking the necessary action. You’ll be able to discuss with cybersecurity experts what controls need to be implemented to guarantee maximum protection for your system.

We recommend hiring a reliable and expert cloud security assessment service rather than novices to ensure that all of these steps are followed and that each is done with due diligence.  

Importance of cloud computing and digital asset security assessments

Cloud computing has had major impacts on businesses going through a digital transformation journey.

Introducing remote working means business data goes through various clouds, making it vulnerable to threats. Any misconfiguration in your cloud service can be the weakness that costs your business its data integrity and protection. 

A cloud security assessment of your cloud system is to be viewed from an attacker's point of view. The assessment will test how sensitive business data can be shared and accessed through your system.

Advantages of a cloud computing and digital asset security assessment

Investing in a reliable service for your cloud computing security assessment will bring you the following benefits for your business:

1. Current Cloud Analysis

A cloud computing security assessment will give you an idea of where your current cloud system's security stands. A transparent analysis means you’ll know what threats your business is more prone to than others.

2. Better Resilience

Once your hired service provider completes their assessment of your business’s cloud infrastructure, they will recommend solutions to make the system more resilient. These can be changes in the cloud infrastructure and recommendations for better access control.

3. Security of Third-Party Integrations

Third-party configurations are unavoidable in growing businesses. But they can also be the weak link, making your cloud system vulnerable to threats. A cloud computing security assessment will evaluate how secure your third-party integrations are and what can be done to improve them.

4. Better Response to Threats

Even the best-secured system can get attacked, so it’s always a smart option to have a backup plan just in case any threat does make it through the system’s defences.

A cloud security assessment team will also recommend the needed action when an attack does occur on your system. These recommendations will allow you to get control of the threat before it turns into a full-blown breach.

5. Detection of Past Breaches

A security assessment team will be able to identify any unusual misconfigurations in your cloud system that past threats could have caused. From there on, you can review any affected data and decide your next action plan by consulting with the assessment team.

6. Tailored Configurations

The security assessment team will set up tailored configurations for your cloud system to strengthen the surface of its cloud environment. This means the system will get a strong first line of defence against cyber attacks.

Dotcom Software’s Enterprise Quarterly Security Assessment

Since the covid-19 pandemic, South Africa’s pace of digital transformation has drastically increased. Google recently announced the launch of a cloud region in South Africa, which will be the first in the continent. So the evolution of cloud systems doesn’t look to be slowing down.

In such times, you need a reliable security assessment service like Dotcom Software to help you with your business’s cyber security. Their quarterly security assessment will ensure that your cloud system is always in optimal working condition with state-of-the-art security against threats.

As your business grows, so will its cloud system. Dotcom believes that regular security assessments are essential to ensure that your cloud security measures are up to date and haven’t been compromised with the added integrations to the system.

Cloud computing has proven to be a valuable asset for businesses all across the globe. On the downside, it has also made businesses more vulnerable to data breaches, malware infections, and cyber attacks.

So before the dangers of cybersecurity threats rear their ugly head, visit Dotcom Software to get your quarterly security assessment done.