Cloud security is more important now than ever. Has your business gone over these five considerations?
More and more businesses rely on cloud computing services. For many organizations, using the cloud is critical to their operations to share, store, and manage data. With this new territory comes cloud security threats and risks to consider. Sure, physical threats such as stolen hardware aren’t much of a concern now. However, the network of servers that house business information isn’t impenetrable and doesn’t come without consequence. Here are five things businesses should consider when it comes to their cloud security.
New and Improving Field
Cybersecurity and IT security are in the relatively early stages of these fields, with cloud technology and security being an even newer branch. As people are quick to adopt cloud technology into their lives, those working in the field recognize the importance of rapidly developing security measures to meet the rising demand for safe and secure service. Any technological advancement comes with dangers and people who want to exploit system weaknesses. However, cloud security continues to improve every year.
IoT and Interconnectivity
The IoT, or internet of things, is the interconnectivity of devices through the internet to communicate data and information. Most of this data is stored and analyzed in the cloud. While the interconnectivity of multiple devices helps businesses process so much valuable data to make impactful decisions, having all these devices with poor cloud security can be a huge weakness. Each device that sends and receives information with another device is connected to the cloud. Therefore, not securing one device opens up the potential to breach all the data gathered from other devices.
Human Weakness and Risk
Another factor to consider in maintaining cloud security is the people. Human errors, whether intentional or accidental, are liabilities to the cloud network. Employee negligence and failures to follow protocols leave a company’s information vulnerable to risk. Additionally, a business may even face legal actions brought against them for noncompliance issues. Training employees to follow the correct procedures and to take the right precautions is vital to mitigating risks.
Public versus Private Hosted Cloud Security
Businesses should be aware that there is hardly a difference in whether public or private hosted cloud service is more secure. While private networks give companies more immediate access and control over the data, this doesn’t mean publicly hosted cloud platforms, like Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure, are less secure by default. A business may even consider using a hybrid of public and private hosted services.
Customer Relationship and Trust
Businesses should understand that maintaining cloud security is paramount. Often, the data they store and process is sensitive customer information. Any sort of data breaches and leaks, like the ones with Equifax in 2017 or Target in 2013, damage company reputation, and lose customer trust. Moreover, violating customer relationships yields a potentially everlasting impact on a company’s bottom line.
Healthcare IT Services and Solutions from Audley Consulting Group
The experts at Audley Consulting Group dedicate their passion and work to providing exceptional healthcare-centered IT services to our clients. Our consultants uncover your business needs to tailor an effective information technology solution that is unique to your situation. We proudly serve public and private sector clients in the Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia areas, and beyond. Audley Consulting group has delivered value-added IT services to businesses and government agencies. We can show how our healthcare IT services can benefit you too. To get started, call us at 301-770-6464, or visit our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.