The cloud computing industry has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. Cloud computing is now a common and valuable tool among businesses and independent online users alike. When migrating a business to the cloud, things like security, capacity, reliability, and employee training are just a few of the issues you’ll need to be aware of. The following are simply a few tips to ensure your cloud computing experience is effective for your business.
Backup Data
Always backup your data. One of the most overlooked aspects of cloud computing and one of the easiest way to increase the control of your data is to make sure that whatever happens, you have a secure backup of that data. Not only is it important to maintain up-to-date backups of your data, it’s also important to routinely test those backups for data integrity. Also, make sure you keep those backups stored in a location that is different from the source.
Test Security
One of the biggest cloud security concerns is the risk of breaches resulting in loss or theft of sensitive private data. The only way to make sure something is secure is to test it. It is not uncommon for highly data-sensitive organizations to hire a skilled ethical-hacker to test their security provisions. Vulnerability scanning and assessments are just as important inside the cloud as they are outside the cloud. Chances are that if you can find a way to get unauthorized access to your data, someone else can as well.
Research
Begin by studying potential cloud providers’ marketing literature. Read reviews and ask around to get a feel of the providers level of success. Of course, to find out details about how the service works, you will have to talk to them. Ask specific questions, such as, where and how data moves and where it resides, what security controls are in place by default and the extent to which the provider is willing to tailor a security solution to your needs. You will also want to know what types and levels of encryption the provider can offer to ensure that even if data is leaked it cannot be read.
The Near Future
If you have heavy applications that will not run properly on a cloud environment, don’t just write them off yet. Start by planning to change your app architecture to a cloud-centric model step-by-step. In the near future, the version and hardware of these applications will evolve and you will only have to take advantage of the changes to complete their move to the cloud.
The cloud has come a long way over the past few decades. What was once a dream is now achievable for most businesses. Establishing a stable, dynamic cloud infrastructure is one of the best decisions you can make. With the above tips in mind, you will be on your way to effective cloud computing in no time.
