Using multi-factor verification to ensure the security of cloud services

Cloud computing is often described in terms of "software as a Service" (SaaS), "infrastructure as a Service" (IaaS), and "platform-like Services" (PaaS). But now we see that people have begun to use the word "AaS" to describe everything from communication, training, data, data, storage, and so on, as a service.

At present, Microsoft has put all its energies on the "AaS". They even said they would no longer develop any products that were deployed locally. Whether IT managers like it or not, they will be dealing with the cloud in their core work in the future. As Microsoft starts migrating everything to the cloud, it's time to think about cloud security.

The cloud has many advantages, such as low demand, no capital expenditure (infrastructure provided by vendors), ease of deployment and scalability, and device/location independence. Still, there are risks to cloud computing, which makes many IT departments uneasy. A service provider, including Microsoft, puts company data (which is the lifeblood of all companies) on other people's clouds. We've seen a lot of cloud service leaks and service outages. Although Microsoft has successfully avoided some major incidents over the past few years, there have been downtime incidents due to expired SSL certificate vulnerabilities and network attacks.

The incident was a source of concern for Microsoft, which set up Office 365 Trust centers to explain in detail how Office 365 addresses built-in security, continuous compliance, privacy, and transparent operations. If you are using or will be using Microsoft's cloud services, then we suggest that you read the information on the Microsoft website carefully.

Another key to security is the implementation of multiple element randomness validation of cloud service access. The user name and password are not blocked, especially if the current static security data is often stolen. Think about how many times you have been told to change your password for social networking or cloud service leaks so far. One experience with this type of password thief is the use of double authentication, such as using SMS to provide random numbers or automatic voice calls for confirmation.

Microsoft began supporting this solution a year ago. Now companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter are also starting to provide double validation of their cloud services access. Of course, in both the cloud and the local service, each network should support double authentication. If credit card companies, banks and business companies in the United States use multiple factors to verify credit cards, the recent leaks, such as that of the US company, will not be disruptive.

Everything today can be a service. Ensuring their safety is an evolving technology. The strong technology of cloud service providers and the increasing user authentication (and training) will provide a more secure experience in the future.