Data Security

Data security is a critical concern and is one that needs no introduction. Today, where the need for enterprises to rely on the cloud is more than just an option. Increasing infrastructure costs and decreasing resource availability has made it almost mandatory for businesses to go the cloud way. This is truer for developers who need server instances for dev-test. In such a scenario, it is only obvious that data security threats are increasing, rightfully increasing the anxiety levels of everyone involved.

However, there are very few simple steps that ensure that your server space will be able to defend itself most security threats. Let’s quickly cover some of these.

Setup a firewall

The age old companion of internet security, firewalls have a legacy of its own when it comes to advantages and how much people who access the web through firewalls hate them. Enough said, firewalls still hold strong in preventing most threatening actions from being performed. Malware and viruses get to your data mostly due to a lack of awareness. Your users access your virtual servers and if they are infected, chances are they will infect your server also.

Malicious programs are not always active. If you have an empty server that is infected, the threat doesn’t leave the server. It waits till something – your data – falls in and falls prey. So keep your firewall strong and most importantly, keep one in the first place.

Frequent Data Transfers

Synchronization and data transfers are important and in most cases, unavoidable. You must be extra cautious while transferring data to your VPS from your physical servers/systems. Another thing you can do is avoiding data transfer whenever possible. If you have two servers on a datacenter that use for dev and testing respectively, you can transfer data from one VPS to another using a virtual private network. These private networks are safe and does not let anything from the internet, or outside the datacenter to get through/past them. Avoiding data transfers also have other benefits that are related to cost, time and resource consumption.

Backups and Restore

Another important and very simple measure is ensuring you back up your data frequently. Backups and restore points will help you in the event of an attack or a complete, non-reversible crash.