Security in cloud computing

Those who are unfamiliar with cloud computing tend to be sceptical about its ability to offer levels of security which are comparable to or even greater than those available with in-house enterprise IT solutions.

In reality, however, a secure cloud computing service is easy to find, since the nature of this type of platform means that it is able to offer improved physical and digital protection which is difficult to replicate within individual businesses.

But what is it about cloud computing that makes it so robust, in spite of what sceptics might think?

 

Scale and obligation

Cloud computing is often praised because it allows for a truly scalable IT environment, with storage and processing capacity available to be increased on-demand. Whole infrastructures can be hosted in the cloud and because everything is handled remotely at a facility operated by a third party provider, enterprise users do not need to worry about traditional limitations.

The same applies to security, because a cloud provider has the funding available to it to invest in the very latest security measures, ensuring that everything from rogue outside intruders to DDoS attacks do not have an impact on the integrity of the mission-critical apps and data that businesses run in the cloud.

Aside from simply having the resources to keep up with the ever-shifting IT security market, cloud computing service providers also have an obligation to their customers to stay on top of this issue. A cloud provider can only be successful if it has a good reputation and has earned the trust of users, with any breach or data theft incident sure to make it harder to continue operating.

 

Access accountability

A business which chooses to house critical IT systems on-site will not only be responsible for ensuring that network-based intrusions do not occur, but also that physical access to the hardware is not provided without the appropriate permissions.

A cloud data centre is under the same pressures and expectations, but will have 24 hour monitoring to ensure that unauthorised access is highly unlikely.

In a digital world such concerns may seem archaic, but there is a real danger posed by this type of activity and many firms will not be able to match cloud providers when it comes to physical monitoring of IT hardware.

 

Intrusion detection

IT security is not just about preventing hacks, attacks and inappropriate access. It must also involve the ability to detect breaches when they occur and act swiftly to prevent further damage from befalling a solution.

An on-site system within a firm that may not have a particularly large IT department could be compromised for months without anyone realising it, allowing back door access to apps and data by third parties at the expense of industry secrets and productivity.

The persistent monitoring and cutting edge systems provided in the cloud ensure that when protective layers are penetrated, the wound can be cauterised quickly so as to minimise the impact.

This again comes down to the influence of the economies of scale which allow cloud computing services to exceed the abilities of in-house enterprise IT.

 

Mobility

In an increasingly mobile workplace, data may not linger on internal servers for long and could find its way to portable devices, perhaps owned personally by employees rather than the company itself.

Data stored on smartphones, tablets and laptops is vulnerable to the loss and theft of such devices, but if you rely on a cloud service and allow remote access to information rather than requiring that it is kept on portable gadgets, far less damage is done in worst case scenarios.

The debate over cloud computing security is often based on misconceptions, but for companies that have adopting this type of IT solution and experienced its benefits at first hand, there is little question of the protection it offers.