Is the Cloud Safe?
Is the Cloud Safe?
Cloud computing has refined the way we store and access our data. Over 20% of EU enterprises used cloud computing in 2016. Despite the rapid adoption of cloud computing many are beginning to ask, Is the Cloud Safe?
What Is the Cloud?
The data and applications on your desktop are stored and accessed from your computer’s hard-drive. The cloud enables you to access and store this same information via the internet.To store these applications and data on the internet, ‘data centres’ are constructed.These data centres consist of large groups of servers with specialized connections to spread data processes across them.
Cloud computing offers increased flexibility and accessibility amongst many other benefits, however many IT decision makers are still anxious to adopt the cloud for their business. Can their scepticism be justified? Is the cloud safe?
The Risks
It’s out of your hands
Many businesses are put off by the concept of putting their data in someone else’s hands. Often, decision makers believe no 3rd party business is going to be as rabid about looking after your data as you would be.
On the other hand, allowing someone else to handle your data does relieve the stress of having to perform updates, maintenance and manage security.
Government Intrusion
The government is within their rights to search and seize any data stored by a cloud provider. Cloud service providers can be served a subpoena by the government at any time requiring them to open their client’s data for examination. Whilst government intrusion does not put your data at risk, some businesses may be put off by the governments data privacy ethics.
The Benefits
Encryption
The key benefits of cloud encryption are the same for any application of encryption. Encrypted data means that only those parties or personnel with decryption keys have access to that data.
Cloud providers use a variety of encryption techniques to protect sensitive data. This provides an extra layer of protection against data breach incidents and persistent threats.
Controlled Access
When data is stored off site it means that employees, vendors and visitors have restricted access from a company’s sensitive data. Humans are often regarded as the weakest link in the security chain. Steve Culp believe that less human involvement means less chance of things going wrong.
Therefore, by removing physical access to a company’s data, it makes it harder for third parties to use this data negatively. Additionally, because files are stored offsite, they are protected from theft and local damage such as fire, floods and power surges.
Trust the Experts
In almost all cases, small business networks are far more vulnerable than cloud service providers. Trusting a cloud service provider to look after your data is like putting your money in a bank rather than stuffing it under your mattress. Cloud service providers have far more experience with handling data. When it comes to storing and accessing sensitive data, it’s best to trust the expert.
So, is the cloud safe? Yes! But with the rapidly evolving nature of cybercrime you must ensure you find a cloud service provider that you can trust. At Southbank-IT we host our own cloud server instead of using anyone else’s service. This gives you peace of mind that we have complete control of your security as well as being able to offer a completely bespoke cloud package. If you are interested in our cloud services click here or