Cloud Safety Presents New Options for Businesses

Admit it, you've thought about moving some of your computing infrastructure to the cloud, but just couldn't take the leap because there is a perception out there that suggests cloud-based computing systems are less secure than the ones that you house within the confines of your office. The fact of the matter is that every piece of computing infrastructure has the same shortcomings as far as security goes. Whether hosted in a cloud or in an enterprise data server, the thing that makes data security work for business is having the right people managing your information.

Security for Cloud Systems
Without fail, every cloud service provider will suggest that their service is "encrypted" and "secure" to help sell it to potential customers. After all, who would purchase a service that is known to be wholly unreliable? These claims of security are more truth than hyperbole. With an enterprise-level firewall protecting the data stored on a virtual hard drive, getting to the information is incredibly difficult. Even if a malicious entity somehow slips by the firewall and enters your server unannounced, built-in data encryption systems are designed to protect data from being accessible to users that do not have the credentials (often called an "encryption key") to access the protected information. The use of this dual-level data encryption, if done correctly, can keep even the savviest hacker from your organization's information.

According to Gartner, the cloud services market is currently worth a staggering $130 billion, by 2015 it will be $180 billion. These numbers suggest that more and more enterprises are trusting their sensitive business information to encrypted cloud servers; moving away from a traditional onsite computing infrastructure. With data security constantly in the news, how can an organization's IT administrators deny that it behooves their company to put together a thorough strategy to keep the information they depend on safe. This is a challenge no matter where your organization stores its data.

Managed IT and Your Cloud Environment
If you are the owner or CIO of a small business that only needs a small computing environment made up of the organization's necessary applications and a marginal amount of storage, cloud computing is a cost-effective and often business-sustaining service you can employ. Then again, knowing the people that are managing the security of your company's data and the privacy of the users on your network has its advantages. While hiring an employee to manage your company's IT infrastructure is a substantial investment, sometimes, when the needs of your company allow, employing a cloud computing strategy is a viable alternative to the cost-intensive nature of purchasing and maintaining a complete in-house computing infrastructure.

By understanding the types of clouds available to your organization, you'll have the best idea of how to make cloud computing work best for you. There are three types of cloud computing. They are:

• Public Cloud - In a public cloud, the infrastructure and services where you process and store information are maintained off-site. As the name intimates, a public cloud solution has been created for use publically. These are the most cost-effective and efficient interfaces for collaboration and file sharing but may sometimes lack the security and features your business needs.
• Private Cloud - In a private cloud, the infrastructure and services where you process and store information are tailored specifically to your company. In a private cloud infrastructure, its sole purpose is to give you the ability to control and maintain the infrastructure yourself. A private cloud infrastructure is, by far, the most secure option.
• Hybrid Cloud - When your organization decides to use both a private and public cloud, it is called a hybrid cloud. This infrastructure is normally set up with the most sensitive data in their private cloud to ensure it isn't available, while utilizing the superior communication, cooperation, and collaboration tools available with most public cloud offerings.

By understanding the make up of each cloud system, you can best tailor a cloud-delivery system to your needs, thus enhancing your organization's ability to keep its data safe. If you choose to couple a hybrid cloud solution with Macro System's comprehensive managed services, you simply won't need to worry about data security again. We can suggest solutions to help you keep your data safe, redundant, and working for you.

At Macro Systems, we know what it means to keep your business secure. We provide outsourced IT services to all types of small and medium-sized businesses in the DC Metro area. Our technicians are well-versed in the data security industry's best practices, and can leverage their substantial expertise to prevent the threats that jeopardize the integrity of your data systems.