Why Better Cloud Security Is Critical to Business Growth
Of all the reasons some businesses are hesitant to move more aggressively into the cloud, security concerns have long topped the list. Every day seems to bring news of another massive data breach involving a high-profile company.
But here’s the thing: When it comes to data breaches, the cloud is not the problem. Businesses’ own inadequate security technologies and practices, whether in the cloud or on-premises, leave data vulnerable to attack by today’s smart, tenacious hackers.
More IT leaders are realizing the cloud is no less secure than their own onsite data centers, and that its use is increasingly necessary in a world where data volumes are exploding. Consequently, 91 percent of companies are now in the cloud — and of those, 29 percent say that most or all of their systems are cloud-based — according to a survey by CompTIA.
While moving to the cloud doesn’t make your data less safe, it doesn’t necessarily make it safer either.
Who’s responsible for what? Some businesses believe that simply moving to a reputable cloud provider means their data will be secure. And while it’s true cloud vendors such as Google and Microsoft have much greater security expertise than the average small business, and are certified compliant with federal data governance standards, security in the cloud often comes down to properly configuring the security controls the vendors offer, as well as general data security hygiene.
Ron Zalkind, CTO of Cisco Cloud Security, explained that cloud has a “shared responsibility model. With cloud, where you leverage someone else’s data center, you now have less direct responsibility for security for that infrastructure. So, you need to have service-level agreements in place.” But customers, he said, are typically responsible for “firewalls, patching operating systems, deploying software free of vulnerabilities, and network access control.” Make sure you know what your cloud providers are responsible for — and what you are — when it comes to security.
