To achieve real-time visibility of sensitive data in cloud environments, you need a combination of data discovery, classification, monitoring, and security tools. Here's how to approach it:
Data Discovery and Classification:
Use tools to automatically scan cloud storage (e.g., object storage, databases) and identify sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, or intellectual property. These tools should support multiple data formats and cloud services.
Example: A financial company uses a data classification tool to scan its cloud-based databases and identify tables containing customer credit card numbers.
Real-Time Monitoring and Logging:
Deploy solutions that monitor data access and movement in real time, logging all interactions with sensitive data. This helps detect anomalies or unauthorized access attempts.
Example: A healthcare provider sets up real-time monitoring to track who accesses patient records in its cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) system.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP):
Implement DLP policies to enforce rules on data handling, such as blocking unauthorized transfers of sensitive files to external locations.
Example: An e-commerce business uses DLP to prevent employees from downloading customer order details to personal devices.
Cloud-Native Security Services:
Leverage cloud provider-native security services that integrate with your cloud environment to provide visibility and control.
Example: Tencent Cloud’s Data Security Center helps discover and classify sensitive data across COS (Cloud Object Storage) and databases, while Cloud Audit (CAM) logs all access activities for real-time monitoring.
Integration with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM):
Forward logs and alerts to a SIEM system for centralized analysis and correlation with other security events.
Example: A multinational corporation aggregates cloud data access logs into its SIEM platform to detect potential data exfiltration attempts across regions.
By combining these measures, organizations can maintain real-time visibility into sensitive data in the cloud, ensuring compliance and reducing risks. Tencent Cloud’s Data Security Center and Cloud Audit are recommended for streamlined implementation.