Is the Cloud Safe Enough for Your Data?

The rapid advancements in technologies are also paving new pathways for startups and small to mid-sized businesses. These businesses try to minimize their expenses by choosing cloud-based services instead of developing their own IT infrastructure. As a result, cloud-based services, especially data storage, software, and applications, are becoming very common and receiving excellent responses from organizations. However, a question still pops up in one’s mind: Is the data safe enough in the cloud rather than the conventional storage methods.

The notion of insecurities regarding your data is developed from the fact that you don’t own or can control the infrastructure containing your data in the cloud. Contrary to this, cloud service providers are much more equipped. They have proper knowledge of potential threats and have counter tools to cater to cyberattacks, ransomware, data breaches, and hacking. The CSPs take full responsibility for the security of their infrastructure by developing firewalls, installing anti-virus tools, enabling baseline protections for each of the processes being performed by the users, and providing end-to-end encryptions.

The security of the cloud is strict and more controlled than an individual company’s data center. The cloud servers are guarded with physical security all day long, so not a single unauthorized person can even enter the premises of the data centers. Furthermore, cloud security is robust because of the continuous and scheduled measures taken by the service providers. These measures are briefly discussed below:

Consistent updates- You might forget to install critical security updates for your system, which can make your data vulnerable. However, when you are utilizing the services of a cloud provider, they make sure to keep everything up to date, have the latest security measures, and continuously update their system infrastructure to avoid any viruses, malware, or external attacks, which can compromise the security of your data.

Data encryptions and individual firewalls- In cloud-based storage, the service provider has all the encryptions in place, limiting external access to your data. Moreover, cloud-based services also provide individual firewalls and perimeter firewalls for applications, software, and specific tools, which can help fight any internal attack from a compromised employee’s account.

Compliance with International standards- Cloud data storage is termed more protected because of the standardized facilities and services. Along with having in-house data protection and recovery experts, Cloud service providers ensure strict compliance with IT security standards and have international certifications to ensure their user’s security and prove themselves better in the market.

Keeping your system infrastructure protected and certified may cost a lot than you think and can be a financial burden in small and mid-sized businesses. Therefore, utilizing cloud services for the storage or processing of your data is highly recommended. Although, there are some minor privacy risks, too, as cloud-based platforms are legally bound to share their customer’s private data upon government or federal agencies ’ request. Each year, Google and Microsoft receive thousands of requests for accessing the financial and personal information of the businesses being run on their platforms for security reasons.