The primary reason why businesses are reluctant to switch to cloud-based hosting is the question around the security of their data. What if it’s lost or hacked into? In this article, we are going to reveal why cloud hosting is actually safer than traditional systems.
First, let’s tackle the issue of web application-based attacks. This is where viruses and hackers access your private information via the internet. This hits both on-premise servers, as well as the cloud. However, when managing your own server, you are likely to suffer more incidents – research has shown that on-premise users experience an average of 61 attacks, while service provider users averaged just over 27. In addition, cloud hosting provides up-to-the-minute updates on virus protection and data encryption, while personal servers may be outdated in terms of hardware and software.
It appears that the fear lies more around the idea of confidential information being stored on servers and systems you have no control over. However, control isn’t the same as security. Your data’s physical location is far less important than the means of access. Don’t focus on the platform, but rather the security systems put in place. This is where cutting edge technology is vital.
Secondly, the question around potential data loss is a common one. All information on our cloud servers are backed up on a daily basis. Once again, the trouble comes in through data access, rather than servers magically disappearing or being cleared of valuable data.
Here are the fundamentals of data access in the cloud:
- Yes, passwords can be hacked. Your responsibility is to choose passwords that are difficult to guess, and to change them often.
- Data in the cloud can be encrypted while it’s travelling back and forth (from your computer to the server), as well as when it is stored. This is to prevent data being stolen en route. Also, with encryption, even with the remote possibility of your information being hacked, it will be impossible to read. Encryption uses complex algorithms to keep your data safe. This is far more difficult to breach than the average computer owner’s security measures.
- Rules around who can and can’t access the server information is critical. The users you provide access to need to be trustworthy and password-savvy. We supply the resources for your data security, but you control how the data is ultimately protected by who has access.
When storing and sharing your data using a cloud-based server, you have an entire team of experts supporting you. This is far safer than your own server locked away in your office.
