Offsite Data Storage Security Considerations

Introduction

As businesses require more data storage capacity, many are turning to offsite options like the cloud or dedicated data centers. While these services can provide efficiencies and cost savings, they also introduce new data security risks that must be addressed. In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at the key security considerations when using offsite data storage.

Securing Data Transmission

When data is transmitted to and from an offsite location, it is vulnerable to interception or manipulation. Encryption is essential for securing data in transit:

• Use strong encryption protocols like SSL/TLS for data transfers. TLS 1.2 or higher is recommended.

• Encrypt data before uploading to cloud services or external providers. Do not rely solely on transport encryption.

• Consider a virtual private network (VPN) to establish an encrypted tunnel for all data transfers.

• Authentication mechanisms like certificates help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Proper encryption ensures data remains private and intact as it moves to and from the offsite repository.

Vetting Providers Thoroughly

Not all data centers or cloud services uphold strong security standards. Before selecting an offsite provider, vet their security posture thoroughly:

• Review the provider’s security architecture, policies, and procedures. Look for comprehensive, enterprise-grade safeguards.

• Ask about security audits and certifications like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance. Independent validation is optimal.

• Understand security features like access controls, monitoring, encryption, and network security. Multifactor authentication and intrusion detection are examples of important controls.

• Assess the provider’s incident response plan and processes. Rapid detection and response to threats is critical.

Taking time to evaluate providers helps avoid higher-risk services and find ones that align with your security requirements.

Managing Access and Permissions

With data stored offsite, access controls and permissions become even more critical:

• Limit access to those who absolutely require it. Allow only specific users, groups, or systems.

• Assign granular permissions to data sets and objects. Avoid blanket access where possible.

• Review access periodically and remove those no longer authorized. Promptly deactivate former employee credentials.

• Use mechanisms like role-based access control (RBAC) to dynamically scale permissions.

• Monitor access attempts for anomalies that could signal compromised credentials or insider threats.

Proper identity and access management protects offsite data from both external and internal risks.

Maintaining Data Security Best Practices

Standard data security practices still apply for offsite storage:

• Classify data by sensitivity and apply appropriate controls to higher-risk datasets like PHI or PII.

• Maintain rigorous backup and retention policies to guard against data loss. Test restoration periodically.

• Log and monitor access to identify potential misuse or policy violations.

• Use data obfuscation, tokenization, or masking to protect sensitive data, especially if used for development or testing purposes.

While an external provider manages infrastructure, you retain responsibility for safeguarding the actual data. Following security best practices is essential.

Monitoring for Unusual Activity

Ongoing monitoring helps detect compromised accounts, insider threats, or policy violations:

• Use tools provided by the vendor for monitoring, alerting, and access logs. Review regularly for anomalies.

• Consider a cloud access security broker (CASB) to gain visibility into cloud usage and improve threat detection.

• Use user behavior analytics (UBA) to establish baselines and alert on out-of-character access attempts.

• Implement a data loss prevention (DLP) program to detect potential unauthorized exfiltration.

Detecting unusual activity requires a layered approach to monitoring. Leverage provider tools plus third-party monitoring and analytics software.

Securing Data Recovery Capabilities

If disaster strikes, can you reliably recover data from the offsite location?

• Understand service provider redundancy, failover, and resiliency safeguards. Seek geographic redundancy if possible.

• Maintain on-premises backups in case the provider experiences outage or failure. Test restoration regularly.

• Build a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that addresses provider failure scenarios.

• Negotiate Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) in Service Level Agreements.

• Implement mechanisms to detect and respond to ransomware. Isolate backups and consider immutable storage.

With offsite storage, recovering data following an incident requires additional considerations. Maintain contingency plans for provider failures.

Conclusion

Moving data offsite can improve efficiency and collaboration, provided proper security controls are implemented. Encryption, access management, monitoring, redundancy, and disaster recovery planning help mitigate the unique risks introduced by storing data externally. Choosing providers carefully based on security posture is also key. Withvigilance and oversight, businesses can take advantage of offsite storage’s benefits while still protecting their most critical information assets.