IT Asset Disposition

Cloud Computing Security: Compare Threats and Benefits

Cloud computing is becoming the norm of the day, and many companies, small and big, are migrating their entire IT infrastructure to the cloud.

In The Present Times, We Can See That More Than 77% Of The Businesses Have Moved On To The Cloud.

Cloud computing could be traced back to the early 1950s, when mainframe computers have been utilized. If multiple users desired to use the computer, they’d spot up to it through automatic terminals.

Contrary to the cloud, just pathways were contributing to the computer and failed to supply any storage center. Such a process was a time in addition to cost-intensive, which directed to businesses (at the time) to think of a more accessible alternative which could allow multiple consumer link at a lower cost.

It enabled the simultaneous function of more than 1 OS, allowing other OS to operate on each VM without needing to alter the data listed or beginning the whole project. This consists of the seeds of remote & virtual connectivity.

The actual benefit of cloud computing has been gradually visible since the 1990s, when the telecom operators adopted the idea of virtualization and provided private digital relations.

The gradual boom and approval of virtualization resulted in reduced prices in a time-efficient way. This resulted in the current date of Cloud Computing.

There are many advantages of moving on to the Cloud. At the same time, there are certain risks associated with cloud computing as a platform for your business operation; let’s look into these in detail.

Benefits Of Cloud Computing

Reduction In IT Costs:

Why do I say this?

As the Cloud has improved much and the companies’ entire facilities to conduct their range of business operations are available on the cloud platform, there is no need for them to maintain their vast IT infrastructure. Cloud is giving more facilities for the companies without the associated hassles of running a full-fledged. IT set up on-premises; there is a drastic reduction in the IT costs. This is one of the most important benefits of moving on to the cloud, and it is very attractive for companies as the creation, maintenance, and operation of a complete IT setup in your premises is skyrocketing by the day.

Scalability Of Operations:

Think I’m exaggerating?

This is required for meeting out sudden exigencies in the business environment. When there is a need for additional resources, they can be assembled, and full operation can be achieved in a short time on the Cloud without much difficulty. But this is not possible in an on-premises IT setup, as you cannot avoid the time required for planning, procurement, set up, and installations required to add more computing power to your existing setup.

Most cloud computing companies offer unlimited computing power at very short notice as they have vast IT infrastructure that can be set up at any time. Due to this, scaling up or scaling down to your required level of operation is possible only with a cloud computing platform.

Business Continuity:

So let’s take a closer look.

Running your business on the cloud offers the best opportunities to store and back up your sensitive data in many ways, often in an automated way without your intervention at fixed, regular intervals. This helps in data protection that can be achieved only with systematic and costly backing up procedures in on-premises IT setup. This is susceptible to human error and failures that may lead to loss of data and consequent unpleasant situations.

As the backup and restoration systems are already built into the cloud computing system itself, there is normally no chance of loss of data, and even if a situation arises, there is always backed up data that can be used to restore the data and continue with your business as if nothing happened with practically no downtime for your business operations. With the emergence of redundant backing up systems running all the time, your data and business are safe in a cloud environment.

Easy Collaboration & Effective Interaction:

First of all

Most of the businesses are conducting their business on a global level, and there is a need to have effective collaboration with all those connected with the business regularly. For this, the present-day cloud computing platforms are offering a variety of communication and interaction facilities that cannot be easily set up and run on your on-premises IT setup.

With many types of Apps available in a cloud-based computing facility, it is now possible to hold all types of interactions with any customer, business associate, or anyone who is connected with your business easily and affordably. This enhances your service or product’s reach and penetration in the global market in an effective and timely manner.

Flexible Work Environment:

Basically

When you migrate your business to the Cloud and conduct all your business operations online, your employees and associates get a flexible work environment. They get the facility to access and manipulate the business data wherever they are. With the cloud-based applications, the entire business data is available to your employees wherever they are, and they can access the required data at any time to conduct the business activities without having to wait for the normal working hours or till they reach their office.

This type of easy access to the business data is offering the greatest flexibility in operation, and the efficiency and customer service can add new dimensions to your business. The employees can have flexible working hours but will be available always whenever they are needed and can work from anywhere, adding more value to their work schedule, contributing more to your business’s growth.

Stay Updated Always:

The simple truth is

Most of the cloud platforms make available Software as a Service ( SaaS), due to which you will be able to use up-to-date software applications always. You need not have to worry about buying the latest updates of the business applications you are using and install them on your system to remain updated.

All these vital functions will be inbuilt into your cloud computing service. Hence, you will be saving yourself from following up with the updates for your business software and purchasing them frequently, spending considerable amounts of money.

Just like there are two sides to a coin, not all is well with Cloud computing as there are inherent risks associated with running your entire business operations on a cloud-based computing system.

Though today’s cloud environment is robust and has many in-built safety systems to protect your business from suffering most of the identified risks, you still have to expect the effects of these risks adversely affecting your business. So you need to take careful steps to identify, plan, analyze, manage, and control the risk factors that may affect your business operations.

Cloud Computing Threats

Fact- Unfavorable Service Level Agreements:

When you are entering into agreements with your Cloud Service provider, you must understand the specific terms contained in them. As most of the cloud service providers operate on their terms and want you to enter into the service level agreements binding you to their terms, situations may arise when your business may suffer due to their unfavorable service terms, or you may be forced to modify your business operations to satisfy the terms of their Service.

Fact- Compliance With Regulations:

As a business with a reach far and wide, you will be subject to many of the legal and regulatory compliances. Most of the times, your Cloud service provider may not help you in these compliances, and you will be forced to take care of them by yourself even though the entire business is conducted on their cloud computing platform. In this respect, you will be solely responsible for all the data that resides on the cloud servers, and you will be answerable to your customers and other persons related to your business.

Fact- Location Of Data:

As cloud service providers have their servers at many places, you must know where your data is residing, and this is important as your data. The business you are conducting must comply with the law of the country in which your data are stored, and the applications that run your business are located. This may, at times, put you and your business in unfavorable circumstances.

Fact- Data Related Issues:

When you are hosting highly sensitive data on the cloud, you are transferring your control over them to the cloud service provider. In the absence of proper physical and logical controls, your data may be subject to data loss or data breach. Your confidential and sensitive business data may land in the hands of unauthorized people.

Moreover, the connectivity problems may force you unable to access your data, and you must be aware of your rights and obligations of your service provider to maintain business continuity. In case of a data-related disaster, your cloud service provider may not feel the same urgency towards the recovery of data and provide immediate steps for preventing data loss.

Despite the above threats associated with the cloud migration, if you still want to move on to the Cloud, you will find that many of the sections of servers, memory, storage, and other IT equipment will be lying idle and may no longer be necessary for you. In such cases, you need to be very careful in disposing of them as they still contain your business data. In case of improper disposal of your used IT Assets, it may cause a serious data breach.

The best way to prevent this is to dispose of your unwanted IT equipment through an established and experienced IT assets disposal (ITAD) company like StarPc Excess. When you involve a Good ITAD Company, you can be assured of proper disposal of your used IT equipment and can get a good return on your investment.