Should We Be Using Conditional Access for Cloud Accounts?
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The cloud has become an integral part of business for many organizations. It provides organizations with the ability to be more agile and scale quickly. However, the cloud also introduces new security risks. One of the biggest security risks is the possibility of data breaches.
4% of users will click on anything and 28 percent of attacks involved an insider.
Organizations need to be proactive in protecting their data in the cloud. Luckily, one relatively straight-forward way to do this is by using conditional access for cloud accounts.
What is conditional access?
Conditional access is a security feature that allows organizations to set conditions that must be met before a user can access data. If all of the these conditions are met, the user is allowed to access the data. If any of the conditions are not met, the user is not allowed to access the data.
For example, an organization might require that a user be authenticated with two-factor authentication before they can access data.
Conditional access can be a powerful tool for protecting data in the cloud.
What conditions can be configured?
Conditional access is typically configured by an administrator. The administrator will define the conditions that must be met and assign users to the conditional access policy.
While there are many different conditions that can be configured, some common conditions include:
Authentication method: The authentication method that must be used. For example, two-factor authentication.
Location: The user must be accessing the data from a specific location.
Device: The user must be using a specific type of device.
Time of day: The user must be accessing the data during a specific time of day.
These are just a few of the many conditions that can be configured. It is important to note that a user can be a member of multiple conditional access policies. This flexibility allows administrators to fine-tune their security settings to best meet their needs.
What are the benefits of using conditional access?
There are many benefits of using conditional access.
Some of the most common benefits include:
Improved security: By requiring that certain conditions be met before a user can access data, you can help to ensure that only authorized users have access to the data. This can be particularly important for sensitive data.
Greater control: Conditional access allows organizations to have greater control over who has access to data. Ensuring that users only have access to the data they need to do their jobs, and nothing more. This can help to reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.
Increased flexibility: Conditional access provides organizations with the ability to be more flexible in how they protect data. Flexibility brings the ability to rapidly respond to changing conditions, which is crucial in protecting against sophisticated attacks.
Benefits far outweigh any cost or time investment to initially set it up. Even if an organization falls victim to a data breach, having conditional access in place can help to minimize the damage.
Should you use conditional access in the cloud?
The answer to this question depends on the specific needs of your organization. However, if you are looking for a way to improve the security of your data in the cloud, then you should consider using conditional access.
When in doubt, it's always best to err on the side of caution and protect your valuable assets. After all, it takes just a few moments of due diligence to prevent what could be a very costly mishap to your business, in both time and money.
Relying on a single security measure is never recommended. Conditional access is quickly becoming the new standard for cloud security because it offers a more comprehensive approach than previous methods.
How can organizations get started with conditional access?
There are a few things that organizations need to do to get started with conditional access.
First, they need to identify which data needs to be protected. This data should be classified according to its sensitivity. Once the data has been classified, the organization can then create a conditional access policy.
The policy should be created with the help of a security expert. Once the policy has been created, it needs to be assigned to the appropriate users.
Finally, the organization should monitor the policy to ensure that it is working as intended.
Have you implemented conditional access in the cloud?
Conditional access is a powerful tool for protecting data in the cloud. When used correctly, it can help to prevent data breaches.
If you are interested in using conditional access in your cloud account, BrainStomp can help your business with the smart security solutions it needs!
Schedule a free consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.
