A hybrid cloud combines on-premises infrastructure with cloud-based resources, creating a complex and dynamic environment that requires careful attention to security. In this blog post, we'll discuss six essential best practices to help you protect your hybrid cloud setup and the sensitive data it handles.

1. Use Strong Passwords 

Using strong passwords is a critical aspect of cybersecurity. A strong password is difficult for an attacker to guess or crack, including a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. When creating a password for a cloud account or resource, use a unique and complex password that takes work to guess.

2. Use Two-Factor Authentication 

Two-factor authentication requires an additional step to verify the identity of a user. When 2FA is enabled, a user must provide their username and password, and a one-time code must be generated and sent to their phone or email. This makes it difficult for a cyber attacker to gain unauthorized access to a cloud account or resource, as they would need to guess the password and access the user's phone or email.

3. Encrypt Data in Transit

Data in transit is susceptible to being intercepted by an attacker. To protect data in transit, use secure protocols such as HTTPS and SSL/TLS to encrypt the data to prevent reading without the proper decryption key.

4. Encrypt Data at Rest

Data at rest is vulnerable to attacks such as data breaches or unauthorized access, so it's essential to protect it with encryption.

There are several ways to encrypt data at rest, including full-disk or file-level encryption. Full-disk encryption encrypts the entire hard drive or storage device, making it impossible to read the data without the decryption key. On the other hand, file-level encryption encrypts specific files or folders, making it possible to decrypt and access specific files as needed.

5. Conduct Security Audits

A security audit is a systematic review of an organization's security measures, policies, and procedures. When conducting a security audit of your hybrid cloud setup, review the following:

• security policies and procedures
• security tools and technologies
• access controls 
• user permissions
• incident response 
• recovery plans 

By conducting a thorough security audit, you can identify potential weaknesses in your hybrid cloud environment and take steps to fix them.

6. Conduct Penetration Tests

Conduct penetration tests to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that an attacker could exploit and to provide recommendations for fixing those vulnerabilities. When conducting a pen test of your hybrid cloud setup, test all your on-premises and cloud-based resources and systems, including your network infrastructure, servers, applications, and data storage systems. By simulating an actual attack, you can identify any vulnerabilities in your hybrid cloud environment and take steps to fix them before a real attacker can exploit them.

For more info, contact a company like Nfina.