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In recent years, cloud computing has had a huge impact on how and where firms have been able to operate their services, and the provision of cloud platforms is now one of the fastest-growing sectors of the technology and computing industry.
Cloud computing is slowly transforming what we expect from our internet services and impacting all areas of our personal and business lives – but just what is cloud computing, and how can it improve your firm’s security? Read on to find out more.
A brief introduction to cloud computing
Cloud computing is essentially any form of computer service that uses a remote computer’s power, storage, or processing capacity to deliver services over the internet rather than relying on your local device. Without even realizing it, you likely already use cloud services daily. Platforms like Dropbox, Google Photos, Netflix, and Spotify rely on cloud computing to deliver their products over the web.
Hybrid cloud solutions are particularly useful in a business setting as they allow firms to upgrade or downgrade services at will plus gives access to technology, expertise and support that is often far beyond the budget or scope of many companies.
In particular, Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) stand to benefit the most from cloud computing as it offers access to professional IT services that, in days gone by, would have been the exclusive preserve of much bigger firms with significantly bigger operating budgets.
No firm is safe from cyberattack – but SMEs are at particular risk
Analysts now suggest data is the world’s most valuable commodity – worth more even than traditional heavy-hitters like gold and oil – yet a startling number of SMEs still take unacceptable risks with their internet operations.
The truth is, if your firm relies in any way on online services (and, let’s face it, what firm doesn’t these days), then it is at risk from malicious attack. Unfortunately, there is a tendency among many SMEs to believe their company is too small, insignificant or its revenue too low to be the subject of a cyberattack.
Actually, the total opposite is true and, as bigger companies continue to invest more and more in their web security, so cybercriminals are starting to target the less-protected SME sector.
Ways cloud computing could improve your business security
As mentioned, cloud computing has put expensive and advanced technology firmly within the reach of even the smallest of companies however its advantages don’t just stop there. Cloud services also bring other added protection (including, but not limited to):
Advanced layers of protection offered by cloud companies: Cloud service providers typically have 100’s – if not 1000’s of customers. These economies of scale make it possible and viable for cloud providers to invest in (and share) advanced security provision that would otherwise be completely beyond the budget of most firms.
The risk lies with the cloud provider if there’s a problem: A cloud company’s sole responsibility is the care and protection of its client’s data – and, if there’s a problem, the onus to fix it lies squarely with them. Moreover, the damage to reputation caused by a serious breach could be enough to end a cloud firm so they protect their customers’ data better than almost any other type of online service provider.
In an ever-changing landscape, cloud providers proactively protect data: New security threats emerge almost daily but top-tier cloud providers actively monitor threats 24/7/365 and patch potential problems before they even have the chance to become an issue.
