Cloud hosting, despite the string of benefits connected to it, comes with a series of risks associated with it. Companies that host their business sensitive data over remote servers are always unsure whether their data will be safe. There are a lot of providers in the business arena that claim to deliver the highest levels of security.
Yet, there are some loopholes lying at the base of their securely projected cloud hosting infrastructure. When taking the leap of faith while switching to cloud, make some ground rules to eliminate some of the biggest risks that are prominent in the cloud computing domain. The most common risks include:
# Risk 1: Accountability and Control
With the setup of a traditional data center, a business firm takes the complete responsibility for the safety of its sensitive business data. Besides, the security features can be set as per the user needs. Cloud hosting on the other hand is susceptible to a number of risks as the organization data lies with a remote service provider that cannot be completely trusted and there is always an element of doubt.
Cloud solutions are completely out of control of the end user which makes the users more inquisitive about the security of their data. The best way to clear all doubts about data security is to contact the service provider about the techniques and methodologies implemented for security. Encryption, setup of firewalls, authenticated data center access, antivirus and setup of intrusion detection are some of the methodologies that are generally implemented by the third party hosting providers.
# Risk 2: Location of Sensitive Data
Cloud hosting providers holding access to large amounts of client data are sure to have some backup procedures implemented for data storage. The location where the sensitive data is stored is one of the major concerns when considering cloud computing security. Most of the providers have their data centers spread across various regions that are not prone to Earthquakes or any natural disasters.
The mapping of data at various servers to ensure complete backup at numerous locations is quite important for ensuring that no data is lost. Clients should thus be well aware of the locations of data centers of the concerned cloud hosting provider and the way data is backed up. This lends clarity on how the data is saved and what percentage of it can be recovered in the case of a mishap.
# Risk 3: Compliance with the standards
The cloud is capable of delivering high-end services as compared to the traditional data centers. In a way, this gives rise to risks if the organizations plan to implement this environment on their own. Improper knowledge of the migration process and that of the equipment to be deployed can not only lead to great capital loss but also to the problem of technology lock-in and loss of ownership of confidential business data.
Non-compliance with standards can crash the application of a reliable strategy across the business firm, and might even permit cyber invaders a dodge to penetrate the network. Organizations or individual customers implementing the cloud should thus stick to the all-inclusive cloud migration strategy and implement the same.
Aditi Tyagi, Editor-in-chief of MyRealData, devotes an immoderate amount of time on the keys of her keyboard and it is only rational that specific part of her precious time is consumed in writing. When she is not working out with her fingers ranting about technological stuff, she loves to read books, especially the ones carrying romantic stories.
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