Google Cloud Accidentally Deleted Financial Services Company Account

If you use Google Cloud, your eye probably caught the word ‘delete’ in the same sentence as Google Cloud. With so much information now in the cloud, the thought of an account being entirely deleted is not something many individuals or businesses have anticipated.

For UniSuper, the unimaginable became reality, with their customers taking the biggest hit to access, convenience, and brand loyalty (reference).

Let’s dive into what happened, how it occurred, and what it would mean if – god forbid – your business’ Google Cloud account was accidentally deleted. 

How Does An Entire Google Cloud Account Get Deleted?

After an unprecedented Google Cloud misconfiguration problem, more than half a million UniSuper fund members went a week without access to their superannuation accounts. The “misconfiguration problem” led to the financial services provider’s private cloud account being deleted for over a week. 

While services were eventually restored, UniSuper customer investment account balances reflected the previous week’s figures during that time. UniSuper made relevant updates as soon as possible but not before having frustrated and disappointed much of their customer base. 

Does a Google Cloud Account Deletion Mean CyberAttack?

Despite this being a rational conclusion, the UniSuper CEO assured the fund’s 620,000 members that the accounts having been down did not point to a cyber-attack. Further, no personal data was exposed as a result of the misconfiguration incident. It was purely a Google cloud service issue.

The Importance of Cloud Backups

How does the whole world not come crumbling down due to an incident like this? One simple word: backups. We preach it again and again, but your business should have backups to your backups. Nothing is truly ‘safe,’ even your information stored in the cloud (case in point).

While the benefits of Cloud solutions are plentiful – advanced security features, real-time backups, sharing and collaboration, and file sync and mobile access – it’s important to also prioritize protecting cloud storage and cloud backups. 

Cloud data is notoriously the target of ransomware. While the case mentioned in this article was not a case of bad actors, the steps for protection still apply. 

7 Steps to Protect Your Backups

These simple steps will ensure your backups are protected and can be used in less than ideal situations. After all,this is the whole point of backups. Of course, depending on a backup only works IF your backup is also safe.

1. Regularly Backup Your Data: Ensure you have automated backups that occur frequently enough to minimize data loss in case of deletion or attack.
2. Maintain offline and online backups: Make sure at least one copy of your backup is on a physical offline location (i.e., external hard drive)
3. Implement strong access controls: Limit access to your backup systems to authorized personnel only. Use strong authentication and authorization measures to prevent unauthorized access.
4. Follow the 3-2-1 rule: Have three copies of your data stored on two different media types, with one copy stored offsite. This approach ensures redundancy and security.
5. Update + Patch Software Regularly: Keep your backup software and operating systems updated with the latest security patches. Outdated software can be more vulnerable to ransomware attacks.
6. Monitor for Anomalies: Implement intrusion detection and monitoring systems to detect unusual activity on your network. Early detection can help minimize the impact of ransomware.
7. Test Backups Regularly: Periodically test your backups to ensure they can be successfully restored. This practice helps guarantee that your data is truly protected. 

Cloud Solutions for Your Business

Don’t let a one-time occurrence deter you from the plethora of benefits of Cloud storage for your business. With proper management and backup protection, the Cloud is a valuable tool for data storage, team collaboration, and more. 

At PK Tech, we offer cloud solution management that will improve your business operations with the ability to access, share, and edit documents securely from anywhere, on any device. Our solutions always include backups.  Schedule a complimentary 15-minute call with a member of our staff today to learn more.