Not all cloud products support the same level of security, so what should organizations be looking out for?
Against this backdrop, it is understandable that there are still a size-able number of businesses who are reluctant to fully embrace cloud computing as part of their business practice. But although this concern isn’t unjustified, cloud providers are increasingly putting security at the forefront of their products. By using military grade defenses, providers can protect their client’s data and insure their environments are as safe as they possibly can be.
A recent survey by Ingram Micro revealed that high levels of security are the most important thing that 83% of IT professionals look for when choosing a cloud solution, with competitive pricing being the next most important at 74%.
If you are unsure what to look for when choosing your cloud provider and service, here are three things to explore from a security point of view.
1. INFORMATION ACCESS: The first thing to check for in a cloud solution is the ability to share information across departments. This functionality is key for CIOs looking to transform their businesses by improving customer experiences and organizational agility, while also introducing new digital revenue streams. Traditional solutions store information in many different places, so keeping those systems in sync and secure is a challenging task.
2. ENCRYPTION BENEFITS: Encryption serves as one way firms can protect themselves. Typically, data is encrypted in transit, which is a first rather than last step. Once information enters the data center, it is unencrypted and therefore vulnerable. To address this problem organizations need to encrypt information at rest in a persistent data store. With modern cloud architectures, a good cloud vendor will take on these responsibilities, especially if privacy and security are embedded into the system from the beginning.
3. SUPPORT FOR THIRD PARTY STANDARDS: Industry and government groups have designed various compliance frameworks to protect customer information, with increasingly tough regulations being introduced around the world. While assessing a third party solution, the various compliance standards and security implementations should be thoroughly examined. Carefully examining a vendor’s solution, however good it may seem on the surface, is the key to a compliant, breach-free cloud future.
By following best practices, doing careful research, and examining vendor’s procedures and practices as applies to cloud architecture, companies are experiencing safe and successful cloud implementations for both enterprise, midsize and small business applications.
