Free guide · Plain English · No security background needed
Your First 5 Cloud Security Fixes
Five plain-English moves that pay off fastest, from the access-key audit to the one-page incident card.
Fix 1 — Know your accounts and lock the front door
What it is
A list of every cloud account and console you use, with strong login protection on the powerful ones.
Why it's first
Many of the most damaging cloud incidents start with a single over-powered login that wasn't well protected. The "root" or top administrator account can do anything — so it's the first thing to lock down.
Do this
List your cloud accounts and who has access. Turn on two-step login (multi-factor authentication, or MFA) for every administrator, lock away the root account, and use it only when you truly must.
Fix 2 — Audit your access keys and give least privilege
What it is
Reviewing the long-lived keys and accounts that software uses, and trimming each one to only what it needs.
Why it matters
Access keys are among the cloud's most commonly leaked secrets — they end up in code, laptops, and chat histories. A key with broad permissions is a master key; a key with narrow permissions is a limited one.
Do this
Find your access keys, delete the ones nobody uses, and rotate the rest. Give each person and service the least access that lets them do the job — not "administrator" by default.
Fix 3 — Close anything open to the whole internet
What it is
Finding the storage, databases, and ports reachable by anyone, and closing the ones that shouldn't be.
Why it matters
A storage bucket or database left open to the public internet is one of the most common causes of a data leak — and it's usually an accident, not an attack.
Do this
Check your storage buckets and databases for public access and turn it off unless it's truly meant to be public. Review your firewall and security-group rules and close ports that don't need to be open.
Fix 4 — Turn on logging so you can see what happened
What it is
Switching on the cloud's built-in activity record so there's a trail of who did what.
Why it matters
If something goes wrong, logs are the difference between knowing what happened and guessing. Most clouds can record this for you — it just has to be turned on before you need it.
Do this
Turn on your provider's activity logging (for example, the account-wide audit trail), store it somewhere it can't be quietly deleted, and set a couple of basic alerts — like a new administrator being created.
Fix 5 — Back up what matters and write a one-page incident card
What it is
A tested copy of your important cloud data, plus a single page on what to do if something goes wrong.
Why it matters
Cloud data can still be lost, deleted, or locked by ransomware — and "it's in the cloud" isn't a backup. A one-page plan removes most of the panic in the moment.
Do this
Set important data to back up automatically, then do one test restore. Write a one-page incident card: who to call, where the backups are, and the first three steps. Keep a copy you could reach even if your main account were locked.
Where to go from here
The free cloud readiness check shows you where your business stands in about five minutes — and it runs entirely in your browser, so we never see your answers.
When you're ready to turn that snapshot into a plan with the templates to carry it out, the Full Edition lays it all out — one-time purchase, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Go deeper on the blog: Inheriting a cloud account nobody set up properly — the long-form piece behind this guide, free.
This guide provides general guidance and recommended security practices drawn from widely recognised standards. It is not a professional security audit and not legal advice, and it does not guarantee security or prevent any particular breach. Responsibility for your business's security remains with you. © 2026 Sylvan Assurance, LLC.