Ready to Securely Move to Public Cloud?

By Lindsey Patterson
Contributing Writer

More businesses, in whole or in part, are becoming digital operations. Cloud computing can allow enterprises to extend their resources and marketing and improve processes without expensive hardware or consultants. Scalable cloud systems allow companies to evolve faster, deliver more efficiently, and adapt to change more easily.

Cloud Misconceptions

Many people still have the misapprehension that cloud providers assume all data security. They believe that operating over the cloud is an inherent security risk. The constant information flow also benefits cybercriminals who probe endpoints to find means of introducing malware.

Thus, organizations struggle with the decision of moving to public cloud services. The reality is that any business network has the same or greater degree of risk as a cloud-based solution. Most networks don't have the security expertise of a reputable cloud provider. In the vast majority of cases, security weaknesses are not in the cloud services, but in the customer network and poor security policies.

Current Security

Any responsible cloud provider puts a high priority on securing their cloud environment. It's an essential element in this type of service. Most cloud companies will have far more up-to-date and progressive security measures than a typical small business. Cloud providers ensure multiple levels of protection, including frequent third-party ISO 27001 or SOC 2 evaluation.

Implementing and improving a security-conscious platform lets them prepare for new threats, as well as provide more versatile designs specific to customer needs. In addressing customer concerns, B2B marketing is often dependent on providing the latest and most comprehensive security measures.

When migrating to cloud sources, it is the customers who must develop and integrate new security policies for managing their own risk. Cloud providers can and do advise new customers on the correct procedures and protocols, as well as provide access to more security alternatives. But it's incumbent on the customer to utilize these new toolsets on their own networks.

Going Forward

In future stages of digital progress, cloud services will still provide significant advantages in business. Industry competition ensures that computing costs will continue to drop, and so savings on IT expenditure will continue to increase, as well as the variety of options in services.

Cloud customers can benefit from all advances in security, such as key vault, multi-factor user authentication, integration of directory services, network monitoring, and new threat detection features that incorporate machine learning. New concepts of prevention and detection provide customers with more transparency and control of their networks.

Cloud providers give customers access not only to these capabilities, but scalability of features, and for set rates, vs. millions of dollars in hardware, software, and skilled teams it would take to implement and maintain the same measures for themselves.

Many professional cloud services companies will offer documentation to help prospective customers evaluate their services and credentials. Prospects who doubt security procedures can make their own determination regarding protection, value, and suitability to their own computing needs.

Security Brokers

A recent addition to the security process is the cloud access security broker (CASB). A CASB helps to discover and resolve security gaps as companies move to the cloud.

CASB solutions can provide capability for using methods like secured gateways, application firewalls, and visibility of user and application access of resources. Secure data organization and storage includes monitoring for regulatory compliance, identifying and isolating unauthorized devices or applications, and combining technologies to provide a more comprehensive security environment. This can apply across different service models such as SaaS (News - Alert), IaaS, and PaaS.

Data Value

Each enterprise still retains ownership of its data. Insuring your business operations depends in part on data security. Data is often a company's most valuable asset. While the cloud provides considerable benefits in flexibility and cost-savings, more companies need to establish their own essential research and security procedures rather than simply moving precious data to the cloud and neglecting responsibility.