When business decision makers hesitate to embrace the cloud strategy, their number one concern is usually about security. True, you can’t be too careful about the security of your business data, still, studies show that use of cloud solutions is expanding rapidly and is providing greater opportunities for businesses of all sorts and sizes to streamline their operations. In fact, many experts are convinced that in ten years’ time the public cloud will be so popular that business owners will look back and wonder what they were so afraid of. If you could be using these upcoming ten years to your advantage, now would be the time to do your homework, quell your fears and embrace the cloud.
Referring to a recent Gartner study, Phil Weinzimer posted an article on CIO.com entitled, "" Statistics confirm that business investment in the public cloud has grown rapidly and may top sixteen and a half billion dollars this year. Another study by Forbes suggests that ninety-three percent of businesses are using some forms of cloud applications and that eighty-two percent of businesses use hybrid cloud strategies. That being said, there remains a concern about security.
Cybersecurity expert Bryce Austin, CIO and CISO at , offered his insight about cloud security. Austin allows that new technology can cause concern. He reminds us that during the last century there was a fear attached to the use of electricity in business environments as General Electric tried to reassure manufactures who were hesitant to outsource a major component of their businesses. Now of course we’ve seen the huge benefit of leaving that technology to the experts so we can concentrate on running our businesses. Along with fear of the untried, there is a fear of losing control over sensitive data. Companies that have been using their own servers and managing proprietary and private customer data for years, may hesitate to put their information in the hands of a cloud provider. Lack of control feels risky. However, having your data in the hands of an expert cloud provider could very well be more secure than having it in your offices or in a private data center. Here’s why:
Cloud providers could not be in business at all without being able to assure their clients that they have implemented the strongest of security measures including complex passwords and multi-factor authentication such as RSA key fobs, smartphone apps that display six digit codes, or a one-time password sent via text. Also, the data stored in the cloud is itself encrypted using keys managed by the customer, not by the cloud host. Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services comply with all Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) standards and regulations which also govern and protect data for the FBI. Cloud data is well protected.
Your organization can benefit from cloud services in a number of ways. Your teams can be more mobile, more agile, more cost effective and in most cases, more protected. Soon we will find that the cloud is not any scarier than the use of electricity in our offices.
and let’s discuss how the cloud can make your business life so much easier, particularly in the area of ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliance.
by Integrity Data
