WinZip Enterprise Blog

Protecting the world's most sensitive data for over 30 years.

What does CRC mean?

If you’ve ever encountered a “Data error” message (aka cyclic redundancy check)” when copying data or accessing a drive, you’ve likely wondered what it means. This term is used in data communication to denote an error-detecting code for a cyclic redundancy check, or CRC. This is one of the various techniques used to verify the integrity and accuracy of data transmissions and warn users of potential problems.

A CRC test safeguards against common errors in networks and storage media, such as optical or hard disks. If you see a CRC error, it means that there is something wrong with the drive or the files. Cyclic redundancy check issues often occur when:

Should you encounter a CRC error message, you will be unable to access your data until the problem is resolved. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to fix cyclic redundancy check data errors.

In this article, we will cover what you can do if a CRC error occurs and how WinZip® Enterprise helps with the troubleshooting process.

How to fix cyclic redundancy check errors

There are several reasons why you might encounter a cyclic redundancy check data error, such as human error or physical damage to the drive itself. This can lead to problems including:

  • Drive corruption.
  • Registry file corruption.
  • File misconfigurations.
  • Drive disconnection.
  • Program installation failure

No matter the cause, CRC errors need to be taken seriously. If you don’t fix them quickly, you could lose data or experience total system failure.

Before you attempt to troubleshoot CRC errors, be sure to back up any important data to a safe location. Should you be unable to resolve the failed cyclic redundancy check, backing up your data offsets the risk of data loss. Then, you can try the following methods to fix the CRC error.

Run the CHKDSK Utility

Windows comes with a built-in utility tool called CHKDSK. This tool scans for errors in the drive. Once the affected sectors are identified, the CHKDSK scan will try to repair the drive so it will be accessible.

  • Press the Windows key ⊞ to open your Start menu.

  • Type cmd in the search bar.

  • This populates the Command Prompt app in the search results. Select Run as administrator.

Click “Run as administrator” to open the Command Prompt screen.

  • In the screen that appears, type CHKDSK, add a space, and then the letter of the drive you want to check, followed by a colon (CHKDSK X:). For example, the main hard drive is usually the C drive, so you would type CHKDSK C:.

Type in the check disk scan code, followed by the drive you need to check.

  • Press Enter. The program will run and check the disk for errors, fixing anything that it finds.

Running CHKDSK is an easy way to correct minor errors.

Note: In addition to the basic CHKDSK X: structure, you can also run the following commands to scan the drive to find and correct errors:

  • CHKDSK X: /F – The /F parameter means that the CHKDSK utility will fix any errors it finds.
  • CHKDSK X: /X – The /X parameter initiates a drive dismount before the CHKDSK process starts.
  • CHKDSK X: /R – The /R parameter tells CHKDSK to find bad sectors on the drive and recover an

If you are still unable to access the files after running the CHKDSK utility to repair errors on the hard disk, there are other ways to complete the repair process.

Use the Disk Check

In addition to CHKDSK scans, you can use the Disk Check utility to find and fix file system errors.

  • From File Explorer, select This PC and right-click the drive you want to assess. Then, click Properties.

Open the Properties of the affected device or drive.

  • When the Properties window opens, click the Tools tab. The Error checking section has a Check button—click on it.

    • Select “Check” in the Error checking section.

    • You may see a window pop up that states that you do not need to scan the drive because no errors have been found. You can still run the disk error checking tool by selecting Scan drive.

    Click Scan drive to run the disk check scan.

    The disk check will scan the drive. The amount of time this process takes depends both on the size of the drive and the volume of data it holds.

    The scan time is influenced by the size of the drive and the amount of stored data.

    If the scan finds errors, the Check Disk tool will attempt to fix them. If no errors are found, you will receive a successful scan message.

    If the drive is free from errors, it is not the source of the CRC error.

    Initiate an SFC Scan

    The System File Checker (SFC) inspects and repairs system files. An SFC scan is a good idea if the CHKDSK scan did not find anything wrong in the drive itself.

    • Press the Windows key ⊞ to open your Start menu.

    • Type cmd in the search bar.

    • This populates the Command Prompt app in the search results. Select Run as administrator.

    Click “Run as administrator” to open the Command Prompt screen.

    • In the screen that appears, type sfc/scannow and press Enter.

    Type sfc/scannow with no spaces to run the System File Checker.

    Allow the scan to run. At a minimum, expect a minimum of 15–20 minutes to complete an SFC scan. The exact time depends on the drive’s volume and size.

    The SFC utility will repair any corrupted files it finds. Once complete, you can close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer to apply the changes.

    The System File Checker will indicate if it has found and repaired corrupt files.

    Format the inaccessible drive

    If the above methods have not resolved the CRC error, you may need to format the drive itself. Formatting will erase data stored on the drive, so be sure to create a backup before reformatting.

    From File Explorer, select This PC and right-click the drive you want to reformat. Then, click Format.


    • Select Format after right clicking on the affected drive.

    • Note that you cannot reformat the drive that Windows is installed on (it is typically located on your C drive). If you attempt to format that drive, you’ll receive the following error message:


    You cannot format a drive that has Windows installed on it.

    • Enter the drive name in the Volume label textbox.


    The Volume label represents the name given to the drive.

    • Select the appropriate file system, which is almost always NTFS. FAT32 is rarely used.


    Select NTFS in the File System drop-down.

    Decide if you want to run a quick or standard format. When it comes to failed cyclic redundancy checks, the standard format will ensure that every sector of the drive is scanned for errors.

    Leave the Quick Format box unchecked if you want to scan the drive for sector errors.

    • When you’re ready to reformat the drive, click OK. A warning message will appear to remind you that reformatting erases all data on the drive.

    Review the warning message and click OK to proceed with formatting.

    Quick formats typically only take seconds to run. However, the time required to run a standard format depends on the drive’s size.

    How to fix CRC errors when extracting files using WinZip Enterprise

    While the previous methods focused primarily on corrupted drives and devices, you may also receive a CRC error message when extracting or downloading a Zip file. This is because WinZip compares the CRC value of the extracted file to the value of the zipped file. If there are differences in the two CRC values, WinZip generates a CRC error message because the extracted file does not match the original file.

    Should you encounter a CRC error message, you should first try to obtain another functional copy of the file. You can do this by pulling from your backup copy or the original source. If you cannot download a new copy of the file, you can use the WinZip Repair Tool to repair the corrupted file.

    Also, you might try redownloading the file in case the CRC error stems from corruption during the download process. This would suggest that the issue was an internet connection or server problem. If this is the case, redownloading the affected Zip file will usually resolve the CRC data error.

    Files and drives can be damaged at any time, making it impossible to avoid the possibility of CRC errors. However, you can minimize the risk by leveraging WinZip Enterprise to secure and manage your files.

    In addition to best-in-class file compression and encryption capabilities, WinZip Enterprise offers a host of features to simplify file sharing and protect important data. For example, thanks to WinZip Secure Backup, you can always retrieve an uncorrupted copy of your data should you experience a CRC error.

    Discover how WinZip Enterprise can help solve cyclic redundancy check errors and other data issues.

    The importance of data classification for data security 

    Organizing data into relevant subgroups makes it easier to use and safeguard data efficiently. This process is known as data classification, which helps companies prevent or limit cyber threats.

    Data classification is especially important when it comes to risk management, regulatory compliance, and overall data security. In this article, we’ll cover what data classification is, its importance, and how solutions such as WinZip® Enterprise enable data security through data classification.

    Categorizing data risk

    Classifying data does more than make data easier to find. Companies produce large volumes of data and understanding what kinds of sensitive information your organization holds is essential to optimizing security efforts.

    The average organization’s data volume grows approximately 63% per month, which requires an organized framework to drive adequate data protection measures. Some data is more sensitive and important than others, so data classification helps you identify which data sets require higher levels of protection. For example, your organization’s internal emails and documents require greater protection than your public website content.

    There are four common types of data classification levels. These levels are based on the type of data, its sensitivity, and the risk to your company if the data is compromised.

    • Public data. Public data is considered low risk because it can be freely disclosed without negative consequences if it is accessed or used by people outside the organization. For example, general information about your organization or its products and services is considered public data.

    • Private data. Private data should be safeguarded from public access to maintain its integrity. This information is typically for internal use only, which poses some risk if disclosed. Your company’s plans, strategies, spreadsheets, and revenue projections are all examples of private internal data.

    • Confidential data. Data that requires clearance or authorization to access is confidential. This type of information could negatively impact the company if it is disclosed, so it is typically limited in access to specific teams or individuals. Examples of confidential data include financial accounts, pricing information, and marketing strategies.

    • Restricted data. Restricted data is extremely sensitive and requires strict controls to prevent unauthorized access. If disclosed, restricted data could pose a large risk for your organization because it includes data such as personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), payment card industry (PCI) information, intellectual property, and information protected by confidentiality agreements.

    Why data classification is important

    Data classification is a foundational component of your company’s overall data security. It is what enables you to make knowledgeable decisions regarding how to protect information from both external and internal threats.

    It is impossible to deploy all your security resources to protect every piece of data. By grouping data sets into one of the four classification levels, you are better able to identify the range of controls needed to keep it safe.

    For example, highly sensitive data (e.g., restricted, confidential) requires a significant amount of your resources to keep it safe. Otherwise, it could pose severe risks to your organization if it is exfiltrated or accessed by unauthorized users.

    Risk reduction

    Risk management is how businesses identify, assess, and control factors that could threaten their capital and earnings. An important element of a risk management program is establishing full visibility over all the data a company collects, stores, and transmits.

    Most enterprise-level organizations deal with a high volume of multiple types of data. Data classification helps you provide the right level of protection based on the data’s value, sensitivity, and the risk posed to the organization if that data is lost, stolen, or exposed.

    Companies that leverage data classification are better positioned to protect organizational assets. Each data classification category includes information relevant to risk management, such as security considerations for the safe retrieval, transmission, and storage of data.

    Regulatory compliance

    According to Gartner, modern privacy regulations will cover the personal information of 65% of the world’s population by 2023. This makes it more important than ever to ensure the integrity, security, and availability of your organizational data.

    To date, around 80 counties have enacted data privacy laws. Even the United States is moving closer to establishing a national standard for data protection—a draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) was released by a bipartisan committee in June 2022. For now, Americans’ data is protected through a patchwork of state-and sector-specific laws.

    Data classification ensures that sensitive, regulated data stays in compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, and privacy laws. Some of these common compliance provisions include the following:

    • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPPA imposes strict requirements for data privacy and security for healthcare related entities. You must properly locate and tag HIPAA-related data, such as PHI and PII. Since the Privacy Rule limits the uses and disclosures of PHI, data classification plays a key role prioritizing data security controls.

    • Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). PCI DSS places great importance on data classification for the protection of cardholder data. In fact, PCI DSS Requirement 9.6.1 specifically requires organizations to classify media so that the sensitivity of the data is determined.

    • Systems and Organizations Controls 2 (SOC 2). The SOC 2 framework helps companies demonstrate the security controls in place to protect cloud-based customer data. Data classification is an important component of the Confidentiality category of a SOC 2 report.

    • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To comply with GDPR, organizations that handle the personal data of EU citizens must classify all the data they collect. Data classification also streamlines the process of creating a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), which is required for all high-risk data processing activities that could negatively impact people’s personal information.

    • Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). The GLBA Safeguards Rule requires financial institutions to adopt controls that address and enhance data classification. These controls are part of the larger, more detailed requirements for a company’s information security program.

    Comprehensive Data Security

    You cannot protect data if you don’t know which type of data and information your company has, where it is stored, or the controls required to protect it. This is why data classification is critical to your overall data security strategy. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to security measures, data classification informs which areas need additional risk controls.

    For example, restricted data is the most sensitive data classification level. As such, it requires the highest level of control over how users’ access, share, and interact with this data. This is why many enterprises encrypt their sensitive data, which renders information inaccessible without the correct encryption key.

    While confidential data is less sensitive than restricted data, it still needs a high level of protective control. It’s also important to control access and sharing of confidential data, even within your organization. A data classification system makes it easy to apply the appropriate access controls and restrictions based on data sensitivity.

    To protect their most sensitive data, companies leverage WinZip Enterprise. This comprehensive solution makes it easy to encrypt, compress, back up, and share critical data.

    Depending on the data classification level, you can keep information safe with file encryption or convert files to PDFs and protect them with a password. WinZip Enterprise is also highly customizable, giving your IT teams the ability to set and enforce encryption standards, password policies, access controls, and more.

    Discover how WinZip Enterprise can help your organization become more secure through data classification.

    How Law Enforcement Agencies Can Safeguard Evidence Storage and Access with WinZip SafeMedia 

    A data breach exposes confidential, personally identifiable information (PII), or sensitive information to an unauthorized person. The files obtained during a data breach are then viewed and shared without permission.

    There has been an increase in cyberattacks and data breaches around the world, including in the US. Many organizations have been impacted by this increase, including law enforcement agencies.

    In 2019, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), was the target of a data breach, which exposed the personal information of at least 20,000 people. This included 2,500 active officers and 17,500 job applicants. Information obtained during the breach included names, dates of birth, email addresses, passwords, as well as the last four digits of social security numbers.

    Then in 2020, the North Miami Beach Police Department was hit with a ransomware attack—where malware is used to deny an employee or organization access to files on their computer or drive unless they pay a fee—and the attackers demanded a ransom of $5 million from the police department to get their information back online.

    Law enforcement agencies today store an increasing amount of digital evidence, including video, audio, photographs, social media posts, chat group messages, and much more—all of which needs to be kept private and confidential. This means agencies need a way to store all this data safely when saved on external hard drives, which occurs when data must be shared, especially with other agencies.

    In addition, some evidence must be preserved for very long periods of time (e.g., 65 years in some cases), which makes storage even more challenging. One solution is WinZip® SafeMedia™.

    WinZip SafeMedia enables end users and entire agencies to quickly and safely store, manage, and transport files on removable media (e.g., removable storage devices such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives and sticks), empowering IT administrators to uphold protocols and standards that defend organizations against online and offline threats.

    In this article, we’ll discuss the top data security pain points law enforcement agencies face, how chain of custody data logging comes into play, the stringent security procedures law enforcement must adhere to, and how WinZip SafeMedia can help.

    Top 4 Data Security Pain Points Law Enforcement Agencies Face

    There are many pain points and challenges related to data security that plague law enforcement agencies everywhere. Let’s look at four of the most common.

    1. The Growing Amount of Digital Evidence

    The main problem for agencies is that there is simply too much digital evidence to handle.

    Since law enforcement agencies now must collect and analyze digital evidence from multiple sources in almost every investigation they oversee, police departments need to invest in systems to store this data. This includes tools that enable long-term storage, controlled distribution of evidence, and integration with record management systems.


    For example, although evidence collection tools such as body-worn cameras and dash cam video are invaluable, footage from these cameras requires a considerable amount of work to store, protect from cyberattacks and data breaches, and maintain according to stringent digital evidence security requirements.

    To resolve this issue, agencies should invest in dedicated data storage and security solutions. This solution must enable officers to follow proper protocol/procedure for storing and managing evidence (which may require this evidence to be accessed by the public for transparency).

    2. Difficulty Accessing Data

    Finding and accessing data relevant to a police investigation is one of the first steps taken by law enforcement officials and administrative staff. Depending on how data is stored, this can be a complex and tedious process.

    According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, the average law enforcement employee spends around 20% of their day just searching for the information they need.

    Key factors that hinder data accessibility include:

    • Data is stored in silos and disparate places rather than centralized locations.

    • Multiple logins and user access rights are required to view data.

    • External data (e.g., call data records, device downloads, and automatic number plate recognition, or ANPR) is often obtained in stages from different sources, making it hard to keep track of.

    • Competence and knowledge among staff members can vary considerably, which means data storage best practices are not followed consistently.

    3. Storing and Sharing Data Across Agencies

    The need to share data across law enforcement agencies is increasing. Crimes often happen at more than one location, which means the ability to gather and share information with agencies in other counties, states, or even countries, can be critical when working on a criminal investigation.

    The data sharing process can be quite difficult. First, there needs to be a centralized digital location that can safely store a variety of information, including timelines, reports, digital evidence, and more—all of which may be in multiple file formats—and that can be accessed by all approved users.

    In addition, access to this data needs to be audited to ensure it has not been tampered with in any way. The information shared also must be searchable so that it can be located to inform other investigations if needed.

    4. Lack of Proper Technology

    Law enforcement agencies need to have the right technology in place to both store and analyze the massive amounts of data they collect every day.

    For example, even in a routine investigation, there are hundreds of thousands of lines of data that come from call data records and electronic devices alone. Trying to decipher this information without the proper technology can be daunting and may interfere with the progress and timeline of an investigation.

    Examples of technology used by law enforcement include:

    • Artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a much more cost-effective solution than having humans derive actionable insights from immense amounts of data. AI is also used for crime mapping, where analysts and researchers use location information about different crimes to detect spatial patterns in criminal activity (e.g., sifting through data to more accurately pinpoint high-crime areas).

      In addition, AI is also used in crime forecasting, which attempts to predict crimes before they occur, using deep learning algorithms to train computers to analyze data from many different sources.

    • Predictive policing. Technology known as predictive policing involves the use of algorithms to analyze large amounts of data to help predict and prevent future crimes.

      Place-based predictive policing uses preexisting crime data to identify places and times that have a high risk of crime, while person-based predictive policing works to identify individuals or groups who are at risk of committing a crime—or who may be the victim of a crime—by analyzing certain risk factors, such as prior arrests.

    Digital Evidence Chain of Custody Logging

    Chain of custody is the process used to gather and track the movement and control of an asset or piece of evidence through its lifecycle. This process documents each person and organization who handles any asset, the date and time it was collected or transferred, and the purpose of the transfer. An asset includes digital activity records, data, and equipment.

    Chain of custody documentation helps mitigate risk by decreasing the opportunity for would-be hackers to tamper with the asset.

    Anyone involved in the chain of custody must ensure they follow best practices when collecting data, any misstep can lead to the asset being compromised, and therefore challenged and ruled inadmissible in court, which can lead to a wrongful conviction or someone guilty walking free.

    The best way to ensure that chain of custody is always followed is for law enforcement agencies to enforce stringent security procedures. These procedures include:

    • Data collection. This is where the chain of custody process begins. This step includes gathering, identifying, labeling, and recording data from relevant and credible sources in a way that preserves the integrity of the data and evidence collected.

    • Data examination. During the examination process, chain of custody information is documented to outline the forensic process that is being undertaken. With digital evidence, for example, officers must capture screenshots as they make their way through the examination process to show the tasks that are being completed and the evidence uncovered. As this step is carried out, the results of the investigation are recorded.

    • Data analysis. The analysis is the result of the examination stage. In this stage, legally justifiable methods and techniques are used to derive useful information from evidence gathered to address questions posed in the investigation.

    • Reporting. This is the documentation phase of both the examination and analysis stages. Reporting includes the following tasks:

      • A statement regarding the chain of custody, which can include a form that lists the details of how the evidence was handled every step of the way.

      • An explanation of the tools used to collect, examine, and analyze the data.

      • A description of the analysis conducted using various data sources.

      • Any vulnerabilities identified.

      • Any additional recommended forensic steps.

    One way to enforce these procedures in your law enforcement agency is by using the WinZip SafeMedia IT control and activity log. These powerful administrative features enable you to tailor security policies to your agency’s needs.

    For example, you can customize settings for different departments or user groups and monitor activity as needed using the activity log. Approved users can access the logged information using Windows Event Viewer or by using a log server solution.

    4 Critical Digital Evidence Security Requirements

    Courts require digital evidence to be sound, untampered with, and provided without any alteration, which means protecting digital evidence is critical. As such, law enforcement agencies must follow storage requirements to ensure all digital evidence is properly handled.

    These security requirements include:

    1. Maintaining the Original Digital Evidence File

    This requirement involves retaining the original digital evidence file. This enables officers to refer to the original, unaltered evidence if needed.

    Officials must keep this file separate from the one they are working on and not perform any analysis on the original file. Every action performed on the original file needs to be limited to protect the original digital evidence file for the evidence within to be admissible in court.

    2. Ensuring Data Integrity with Hash Values

    Cryptographic hash values verify the integrity and authenticity of digital evidence. Hash values provide proof that the digital evidence used in an investigation is the same as the original that was uploaded. If any alteration has been made to the evidence, the system will generate a new hash value that does not match the original one.

    This security requirement makes it much easier for officers to detect any kind of alteration made to the asset. If no alterations are detected, the integrity of the digital evidence is preserved.

    3. Protecting Removable Storage Devices

    Losing a portable storage device or having it stolen can lead to huge risks and potential consequences for a police agency, especially if this results in a data breach. It’s likely that a lost device will fall into the wrong hands, thus risking the privacy and security of what is stored on that device.

    The minimal costs of purchasing encrypted USB drives are far less than that of the average data breach, along with other consequences such as loss of trust and negative public perception.

    When using any kind of storage device, police officials must ensure they protect all data every step of the way. This means setting strong, unique passwords for every storage solution used and enabling a password on their computer so no one can access files on their laptop or desktop while they are away from their desk.

    4. Encrypting Data on Removable Media

    Although encryption on removable storage devices is not yet a security requirement for most law enforcement agencies, it’s a pain point for most police forces. Key challenges related to encryption include determining what data security option is best, how to implement a solution across an entire agency, and who is responsible for leading this initiative.

    WinZip SafeMedia Empowers Law Enforcement Agencies with Seamless, Fail-Safe Data Security

    WinZip SafeMedia equips law enforcement agencies and police departments with a simple, centralized solution that can be used to safely store, manage, transport, and share sensitive investigation data with authorized personnel.

    With WinZip SafeMedia, agencies can empower authorized staff to securely collect and access important evidence on removable media anytime, anywhere, while ensuring all data is protected against unauthorized access through features such as forced burn encryption, activity monitoring, and advanced permission control.

    Additional benefits of WinZip SafeMedia include:

    • Safeguard digital evidence and metadata integrity by copying and automatically encrypting duplications of data assets on external drives.

    • Automatically encrypt and compress evidence and investigation data to easily drag and drop it onto external drives for secure storage.

    • Quickly access data on authorized law enforcement agency systems and software via automatic file decryption.

    • Customize and enforce user permissions and log access to ensure all evidence is processed using approved legal chain of custody compliance and security protocols.

    To learn more about the benefits of WinZip SafeMedia, view our law enforcement and police departments’ digital datasheet.

    Five cloud storage security tips every company should follow 

    The rapid acceleration in the adoption of cloud services, which was kickstarted by the 2020 pandemic, saw 61% of organizations move their workloads to the cloud.

    In 2022, it is likely that your company uses cloud services: 94% of enterprises do. Of the companies using cloud services, 79% reported data breaches.

    Data protection decreases the risk of stored data, yet 83% of businesses do not encrypt what is stored on the cloud.

    Before you can implement a sophisticated approach to cloud security and minimize your data’s risk factor, you need to understand the basics.

    In this article, we will explore how cloud storage works across public, private, and hybrid clouds. We will also identify important cloud storage security tips as well as how solutions such as WinZip® Enterprise help protect files stored in the cloud.

    What is cloud security?

    Cloud security is the set of procedures and countermeasures taken to protect cloud storage from unauthorized parties. Data leaks and malicious parties seeking to steal data necessitate countermeasures to mitigate risk.

    Security for cloud storage is a shared responsibility between your company and your cloud service provider (CSP).

    Think of it this way: An organization that uses on-premises IT infrastructure is responsible for securing the infrastructure and its associated data and applications. However, moving to cloud computing enables the company to allocate some IT security tasks with the cloud provider.

    This is known as a shared responsibility model, and both the provider and user must work together to account for various aspects of cloud security. The data you store, how it is stored, who can access it, and the management of the cloud environment are all examples of your baseline security responsibilities.

    Cloud vendors are responsible for using virtualization to aid in protecting users and data. Vendors can be expected to physically protect their hardware as well.

    Just how much of your cloud’s security is your responsibility depends on the cloud service model your organization decides to employ. The services provided by the CSP come in three common forms:

    • Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): In the IaaS model, the CSP provides the hardware for servers, networks, and storage, which the virtual machine uses to deliver the resources to the client. Sometimes, further services such as storage resiliency and monitoring are offered.

    • Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Using IaaS as a baseline, PaaS models go further and provide users with application development platforms hosted by the CSP. Users can expect built-in databases, operating systems (OSs), and middleware, which is the software that bridges the gaps between applications and the OS.

    • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Building up from PaaS, SaaS platforms offer a complete application that can be accessed without downloading software. The CSP handles maintenance, updates, and software security.

    Security is a joint effort between you and the CSP. Because your organization is only as secure as its weakest link, user error will often be the cause of security breaches. Therefore, it is wise to take precautions and create your own security measures.

    How the types of cloud impact security

    Where a cloud is hosted and to whom it is distributed is what categorizes it as either public or private cloud.

    The primary types of clouds are:

    • Public clouds: An off-site third party sells multi-tenant cloud services. Advantages include scalability, flexibility, and higher-quality infrastructure. Potential drawbacks include paying for resources caused by unoptimized data storage, increased IT skill requirements, and decreased security due to multiple tenancy caused by having many users on the same database separated only by virtualization.

    • Private clouds: Private clouds are typically utilized through on-premises architecture to host a single tenant environment. Private clouds may be utilized when public clouds offer insufficient data governance.

    • A potential vulnerability is created by hosting your data center on-site in the form of your hardware being breached, stolen, or otherwise compromised. Additionally, IT administrators must be capable of building and maintaining the cloud environment. Notable benefits of private clouds are customization of software, hardware, etc., and single tenancy: an isolated network is more secure.

    • Hybrid clouds: Hybrid clouds have the benefits of both a public cloud and a private cloud in addition to enhanced flexibility. For example, as performance or computational needs fluctuate, the private cloud could be migrated to a public cloud until the need for additional resources subsides. However, because multiple clouds are in use, managing performance, security, and data can overburden IT administrators.

    How secure cloud storage works

    CSPs have many tools aimed at boosting security.

    Standard practices include the following:

    • Constant surveillance of software vulnerabilities and data centers, including physical monitoring. While physical security watches for would-be intruders, cybersecurity teams react to virtual threats and lock down breaches. Software developers regularly patch known points of failure and are on the lookout for those yet undiscovered.

    • Regular backups of your data allow for restoration of deleted data, reduce the efficacy of ransomware, and are the best defense against catastrophic failure events.

      The 3-2-1 rule suggests that you should have three copies of data stored on two forms of media with one being off-site. Public clouds typically have integrated backup services to maintain high availability, including backups on off-site data centers. Private cloud providers will have to create dedicated infrastructure for a data center or use a third-party service to back up their data.

    • Cloud services are responsible for data transmitted between their services and typically utilize end-to-end encryption to provide basic protections. Because of the shared responsibility model, however, organizations should add encryption to their security procedures to ensure data is protected in-transit, in-use, and at-rest..

    • User tools boost the client’s ability to secure how the cloud is accessed. Multi-factor authentication and geo-fencing better control who has permission to use the cloud. Data filtering and user audit logs enhance IT administrators’ abilities to monitor cloud activity.

    Despite security measures offered by CSPs, users must take responsibility for their own security.

    It is estimated that 99% of breaches will be caused by user error. For example, the use of software, applications, and information without the approval of the IT department, also called shadow IT, led to 42% of organizations being compromised during the pandemic.

    Simultaneously, 25% of security teams had decreased resources to manage these attacks. The unfortunate result is that 76% of security leaders see breaches as an inevitability.

    What can you do to mitigate breaches? Here are our top five security tips to keep your data safe.

    Five ways to enhance your cloud storage security

    While many safety features are built into cloud storage services, organizations are responsible for security for what is under their direct control. Namely, data, applications, and access controls. Follow this advice to stay ahead of would-be hackers:

    • Identify and reinforce weak spots in the cloud infrastructure. User error such as misconfigurations create unauthorized access points, and the use of a vulnerable application programming interface (API) could enable successful disk operating system (DoS) or code injection. These vulnerabilities can be identified through penetration testing which pits hacking tools and techniques against your cloud security.

    • Have and enforce a cloud security policy for how to use the cloud safely. This policy will determine what can be uploaded to the cloud, who has permission to make significant decisions, and responses to various threats or data breaches. Having a standardized response enables quick reactions in time sensitive situations.

    • Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add extra layers of safety to user accounts by increasing the required factors to gain access. Commonly used factors include unique knowledge, possession, or inherence. A password, mobile authenticator on your phone, and fingerprint scan are respectively examples of the aforementioned factors.

    • Transmit only encrypted data to and from the cloud. Unencrypted data has no protection against interception, so it is good practice to encrypt data at-rest, in-use, and in-motion.

    • Maintain up-to-date backups of your data using the 3-2-1 strategy to ensure recovery in the case of ransomware and equipment failure. Having backups that are not isolated from the hardware or network reduces efficacy.

    How WinZip Enterprise protects your files

    Enabling your teams to collaborate, protecting sensitive data, and enforcing security protocols are all part of the WinZip Enterprise solution for cloud security needs.

    WinZip Enterprise integrates with cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and Amazon S3 to keep your data secure.

    With file-level encryption, in-transit and at-rest files on a stolen work device are secure.

    FIPS 140-2 compliant AES encryption makes WinZip Enterprise a bank and military-grade bastion of file defense. AES encryption can be used with 128-, 192-, or 256-bit keys to ensure your data protection is customized to your needs.

    Automated secure file backup uses automatic endpoint backups to enable the restoration of files which might otherwise be lost. Meanwhile, data compression minimizes granular, pay-as-you-go public cloud storage costs.

    Secure enterprise file transfer upholds file integrity through encryption, which prevents data loss caused by tampering from cyberattacks.

    Explore how WinZip Enterprise can help companies like yours protect files stored in the cloud.

    3 Cloud Storage Security Risks That Make Companies Vulnerable

    Cloud storage gives us the ability to store, transmit, and access data on remote systems by means of a network, usually via an internet connection. This virtualized storage infrastructure is managed by the cloud provider, eliminating the need for businesses to store and maintain data on local servers and drives.

    While cloud service providers typically offer built-in security features such as encryption, these features alone are not enough to eliminate risk. Therefore, it is important for organizations to understand cloud storage security risks and the importance of data privacy.

    In this article, we examine the top cloud storage security risks for business and how solutions such as WinZip® Enterprise can further protect your company’s data.

    The Importance of Cloud Data Privacy

    Regardless of their size or industry, all companies must take cloud data privacy seriously. The policies, strategies, and solutions an organization implements are fundamental to safeguarding data from loss, theft, or compromise.

    Cloud storage relies on housing data in logical pools across multiple servers, all of which are connected over a network. This network (i.e., the internet) is what enables authorized users to access the files, provided they have authorization to do so.

    The appeal of cloud storage is the ability to access business data anywhere, at any time. However, this ease of access can also increase security risks. For example, employee error is responsible for more than 40% of security violations in cloud storage platforms, so it is important to ensure that both your company and your cloud storage vendor have the proper measures in place.

    The ultimate responsibility for securing data stored in the cloud is shared by the organization and the cloud storage vendor. In this shared responsibility model, the vendor might be responsible for protective measures such as data backup and recovery. Your company, meanwhile, would be responsible for elements such as setting security rules for network controls (e.g., a firewall) and implementing customized access controls:

    • Network controls. If your company uses a firewall, for example, you are responsible for setting security rules and ensuring its proper configuration.

    • Credentials. Defining who can access what cloud data and resources is your organization’s responsibility, including encryption keys, passwords, access controls, and more.

    • Configurations. Configuration settings give users greater control over the cloud environment. However, 99% of cloud security failures are attributed to misconfigured settings, so environment configuration must be carefully managed to enforce proper security policies.

    3 cloud storage security risks for businesses

    Storing data in the cloud ensures that it is protected against physical loss or damage. For all its benefits, however, there are cloud storage security risks that could impact your organization. To create and maintain a secure environment for your data, it is important to be aware of the following three challenges.

    1. Misconfigurations

    Misconfigured cloud storage settings are often the result of errors, oversights, and poor configuration choices. These misconfigurations are a leading cause of data breaches, and experts estimate that through 2025, more than 75% of cloud attacks will be caused by cloud user misconfigurations.

    The risk posed by user misconfigurations rests on the cloud storage user or their organization, not the service provider. Misconfiguration issues often occur when teams try to streamline internal processes. For example, if access settings are loosened enough to give anyone in the organization access to stored data, this also increases the attack surface for would-be cybercriminals. While an organization might open up permissions in order to reduce the administrative burden on the IT department, doing so puts data at an increased risk of unauthorized exposure.

    2. Web Application Vulnerabilities

    Companies use web apps for a number of purposes, such as conducting transactions with customers or facilitating collaboration among coworkers. However, if these applications are deployed without sufficient security protections, your confidential data may be at risk.

    In the past five years, more than half of reported major security incidents were found to be connected to web application security vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities open the doors to security risks such as denial of service attacks, malware infections, and brute force attacks. Web application security issues also take longer to detect than other events, with an average time to discovery of 254 days for web app exploitation incidents.

    3. Insufficient Access Controls

    Human error is a leading cause of cybersecurity issues, which is further exacerbated if you do not have proper controls in place for the cloud storage environment. This is why unauthorized access remains a key cloud threat, coming in second only to misconfigurations.

    Without an access control list, organizations will struggle to protect their data and access credentials. It is also important to review access controls regularly, switching off credentials for employees who no longer need access to certain files or systems.

    How WinZip Enterprise Mitigates Cloud Storage Security Risks

    The cloud offers organizations plenty of advantages, but it also comes with its own security risks and concerns. Different cloud storage platforms offer varying levels of security, and it is important to determine exactly how a particular provider addresses privacy and security concerns before deciding which cloud storage vendor to work with.

    For example, while most cloud storage providers leverage encryption to keep data safe, you need to assess the availability of advanced encryption protocols. Does the cloud provider use encryption only on data that is at rest, or is data also encrypted in transit between datacenters, servers, storage, and end user devices?

    To protect data in all its states organizations can leverage solutions such as WinZip Enterprise. It uses powerful AES encryption that safeguards data when it is at rest, in transit, and in use. When you are ready to back up files to cloud storage, WinZip Enterprise makes it easy to compress and upload files to make the most of your storage space.

    While a cloud provider’s terms of service agreement may offer insights about the general data protections offered, most lack specific details related to cloud storage security. For example, the agreement may not address what specific protections are used and how they are implemented, as well as what steps are taken following a data breach or security breakdown.

    WinZip Enterprise integrates with several leading cloud storage systems, giving your organization secure data management on any cloud storage platform. It also gives IT administrators centralized control over data, including the ability to customize security, sharing, and backup policies.

    Learn more about how WinZip Enterprise can protect your business from cloud storage security risks.

    Learn more about WinZip Enterprise today!

    Get a Quote

    Connect With Us