Securing The Cloud
By the end of 2015 the cloud computing industry reached an all time high of $120 billion dollars. This has been supported by a number of facts including rapid elasticity of clouds. They can be expanded, redefined and reallocated within a matter of minutes upon business requirements. Cloud computing has changed the dimensions of data storage and access. 21st century is the era of smart devices and cloud storage has given each and every person the chance to store and access data including Visa and MasterCard details from cloud storage.
Not All Is Peachy In Cloudland
The cloud industry is still in its nascent phase and it faces myriads of challenges every day. As a result many people are lead to believe that the sudden boom of the cloud industry is nothing but the sign of a pending doom. Today we are here to investigate the facts which may help us realize why that might just be a certain possibility.
- A third party is taking care of important business data
This is a cause for concern for the millions of companies out there. This is very different from the in-house IT services that most companies are used to. The off-premise storage system requires a third party provider who does everything from managing security to synchronizing data. So technically this may cause a deep sense of insecurity among the business owners and IT experts who understand that employing a cloud computing service is nothing but abrogating their own responsibilities to give someone else complete access to sensitive information that keeps their companies alive.
- Complete chances of violation of privacy
The threats of NSA intrusion and FBI leaks are not just conspiracies anymore. With the FBI employing “concerned third parties” to hack FB profiles and Apple devices, the threat of violation of privacy on a cloud storage platform is very real. As a result many companies are extremely apprehensive about employing cloud services. Security breaches from adversaries has always been a real threat when it comes to cloud storage, but with the intrusion from the governments the IT experts have one more thing to worry about in addition to the security of their company data. So in essence, the threats almost remain the same, it sources of the threats have evolved over time.
- There is no scale for safety standards
There is no one proven method that makes cloud storage safe. Excessive customization of services has made cloud industry extremely susceptible to violation of confidentiality. So a simple question like, “how safe is cloud storage today?” cannot be answered with simple statistics. The multifaceted nature of the Service Providers has complicated the very definition of “safe”. In fact there are various levels of safety which can be achieved within a cloud storage system. A number of methods can be employed to protect the sensitive information against breaching attacks. But none of these methods make cloud storage a 100 percent safe.
- Legal liability concerning cloud industry
One would think employing a third party service to take care of their data storage matters would take one responsibility off their hands. They are not wrong, but they would be foolish enough not to be prepared for the risks associated with cloud storage. Security breaches may be the nightmare of a company’s IT department, but that is nothing compared to the lawsuits which follow. More importantly, these lawsuits are notorious for financial hassles involved and it is almost impossible to win one against your cloud service provider. Since most of these cloud storage services protect themselves by renouncing all responsibilities to keep their user files accessible.
- What if you lose internet access?
Many leading companies including Amazon and eBay have faced this problem when they have been locked out of their own servers and data due to the sheer lack of connectivity. If you decide to store all your company data in one place you and your staff will be left twiddling your thumbs during a similar situation. This can lead to a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, hundreds of clients and in super-unlucky situations, obliteration of an entire company’s wealth. This is further exacerbated by the lack of experienced customer support who can guide you through a quagmire of data loss, server shutdowns and loss of sales.
A brief afterword
In conclusion, although cloud computing seems like the in thing at the moment, that does not mean it is here to stay. A company should only opt for cloud storage services if the pros of the service outweigh the cons. For any business the smart thing to do is to be prepared for all the risks before shifting to cloud storage. Technologies and their derivatives are transient, so it will be of no surprise if the cloud industry annihilates itself in case it fails to seal its loopholes.
By Mauricio Prinzlau
