Data security is becoming a more serious concern as time goes on. The increased reliance on digital records and large amounts of data mean that some businesses depend on good data security for their very survival.
Despite improvements in security, there have been several high-profile breaches over the last few years. If you keep or track the data of customers, a breach is a worst-case scenario.
Many businesses have their concerns about cloud services and wonder whether they are as secure as the companies that provide them claim. Every service is different, so it’s hard to make a sweeping claim. But, as a general rule, cloud technology allows for much greater security potential than in-house record keeping.
Why Businesses Resist the Cloud
Making changes to the way you handle information is not a quick or easy process. That’s one big reason that a business might not want to make the switch to a cloud service, but there are others.
One of the simplest actually doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of the service. Doing something in-house often feels better. It can feel problematic or disingenuous to outsource. But the fact is, outsourcing isn’t evil. If you had the resources to provide the best security possible, you’d do it yourself. Not having those resources is nothing to be ashamed of. But chances are, your company has other things to focus on. So why not contract a team who is able to spend a majority of their time worrying about storage and security? If the net result is a better, safer experience for your customers, there’s nothing wrong about it.
And of course, there’s the concern about control and security. It certainly feels more secure to keep servers and information on-site. But don’t let that lack of physical access concern you too much. The lack of on-site control doesn’t make cloud security less secure.
Why Cloud Can Be Safer
Not everyone at your company is an expert in data management and security. So why not rely on a team that does employ a number of those experts? It makes sense to leave security in the hands of a company that focuses on it.
A vast majority of businesses see an improvement in security when switching to cloud computing. According to Quentin Hardy, writing for the New York Times, most big hacks occur on traditional servers, not cloud servers, and cloud servers are often secured by some of the best cybersecurity experts in the business.
There are some concerns you might want to look into when you’re investigating a cloud service, however. You definitely want a service that can confirm that the physical location of their servers is in the same country as you. That way you can make sure the data they handle for your business is governed by the same laws. You also need to make sure your employees understand the security of data and aren’t creating their own vulnerabilities. For instance, if you are worried your employees are sharing too much company information on social media, try snapchat spy.
Remember that just because cloud computing is potentially safer, that doesn’t mean that every cloud server is the most secure. It also doesn’t mean that patching together an in-house cloud service will be inherently more secure. It’s important to do your research!
