Security holding companies back from the cloud

One size can't fit all

Ed Harnish - VP Marketing at GFI Software There is no doubt that cloud-based services are an attractive option for SMBs that need to contain costs and require immediacy, availability, scalability and efficiency, without the need to invest in expensive systems, hardware and software. The cloud, in its various forms, offers some or all of these at a lower cost. But there are risks. It is not, therefore, surprising that many SMBs have concerns. Issues of security, access to their data, business continuity and compliance need to be addressed before SMBs take the plunge. SMBs considering moving from on-premise to the Cloud must do so with their feet firmly on the ground. There are cases when adopting cloud-based services makes sense, for example, email filtering and email security. At the same time, maintaining backups of their data is best done on-premise. SMBs need to have a clear understanding of what they want. Then they need to approach the market with caution, carefully looking into what cloud providers have to offer. The second step is to audit their operation. Do they have the infrastructure to benefit from an online service? If their broadband connection is not fast, how will that affect operations? The third step is to choose a partner that satisfies the above concerns and gives SMBs the ability to switch back to an on-premise model if the case arises. There is a growing trend towards hybrid solutions where an organization can choose a service that is online or on-premise according to the infrastructure needs at the time. Many of the risks associated with cloud computing are not new and can be found in SMBs today. The benefits are great yet what SMBs need to be more concerned about is not the security issues alone but whether putting all their systems in the cloud is really what is best for them.

By Ip_willgae1d5b8b on Monday Nov 23