The answer to this question is a resounding yes from most IT professionals, even those in very data sensitive industries seem to agree that the cloud is secure enough any business. Yet media hype, recent movies, and prior experiences with security breaches prevent many businesses from making the move. If you’re considering a cloud migration and are still worried about the security of a cloud environment, here are a few points that might make you feel a little better about cloud security.
It’s even more secure than your current setup.
Consider your internal server setup. Your server is likely locked in a secure server room in your office, which is also locked, in a building which is probably locked as well. You might be on an upper floor of a building, so you feel pretty secure that the server is safe from flood. And if you’re in an interior office – you feel even more secure that it’s safe from the elements. But what is really providing this peace of mind is not actually safety and security – it’s control. You have the ability to see your server and know what security precautions are in place.
But what about viruses? What about a building or electrical fire? What about the fire sprinkler system? What about malfunction? How quickly could you be back up and running? Can you or your IT provider guarantee the uptime and a quick recovery? Do you have the tools in place? In most cases, the answer is no.
Data centers have more resources than you.
Sorry to break it to you, but it’s true. The security intelligence and preventative measures that are in place at data centers far surpass anything that a private server or firewall might have. While it’s true that you don’t necessarily control the security, it’s even truer that you have less control over your in-house data that you might think.
How bogged down is your internal IT department? How much attention are they able to give antivirus updates? It’s practically a guarantee that they are overworked and have more than a few projects that they’re balancing. That means they’re not able to pay as much attention to foundational security. Whereas, data centers can invest hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions into securing your data.
85% of IT professionals at confident in cloud providers ability to provide a secure environment.
Just because it’s local doesn’t mean it’s safe. Rick Spicklmier (CTO of Birst) makes a very smart point in his article regarding cloud security, “Insisting that data remain on premise is like arguing that money should be stored under a mattress or buried in the backyard. The added control actually becomes a liability to the money and a wad of cash under your bed cannot be invested nor is it secure. In the case of data, bytes stored in-house cannot be integrated, analyzed and acted upon in a meaningful way. Data collection without the cloud is an investment with little return.”
Many IT professionals have moved away from calling the cloud an option to insisting it’s soon going to be a requirement for businesses. When you make your move to the cloud, make sure that you migrate to an environment that allows you to feel secure in the infrastructure and management of that data and ask the necessary questions.
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