Protecting Customer Data in Our Cloud through Microsoft Azure

  • Article

Last month we published guidance for IT Professionals looking to maximize the protection of their data using the tools and technologies available in the Azure platform and related services for encryption, access control and other aspects of data security.  This paper, entitled “Protecting Data in Microsoft Azure” explores key areas that should be considered when using either the platform (PaaS), infrastructure (IaaS) or a hybrid database solution.  Topics covered in the paper include:image

  • Data Storage in Microsoft Azure
  • Understanding Data Security
  • Customer-Configurable Protection
  • Protecting data Through Redundancy and Backup
  • Privacy and Accountability

There are multiple tools within Microsoft Azure to help safeguard data according to your company’s security and compliance needs.  One of the keys to data protection in the cloud is accounting for the possible states in which your data may occur, and what controls are available for that state.  Key considerations for protecting data must address data at rest, in process, and in transit. This paper explores the essentials of all three states, and provide guidance on how the capabilities can be implemented for use. Additionally the paper provides customers with the insight to protecting a cloud implementation of a SQL server database. The guidance looks at key differences on encrypting data at the record level vs. volume level encryption techniques in a hybrid model.

Whether you are considering deployment of a hybrid, or cloud based solution, this paper is a recommended read in helping protect your organization’s information. May the Cloud be with You! – Jon C. Arnold