Quelling the Cloud File Transfer Myths

Despite offering secure data transfer, full user controllability and more value for money, it seems that not all IT workers are convinced by cloud file sharing.

A recent survey by Ponemon Institute found that IT workers were in fact skeptical of cloud file sharing services and believed that data breaches in the cloud could be up to three times more costly than breaches elsewhere.

The report titled Data Breach: The Cloud Multiplier Effect surveyed 600 US-based IT workers who were said to be “familiar with their company’s usage of cloud services” and came across less than flattering views about the technology.

Firstly, it has to be noted that the report cannot claim to be representative of a sizeable chunk of the IT industry as it had a very low response rate. Of the 16,330 people targeted only 4.2 per cent responded, and only 3.8 per cent were actually used.

Also, quelling the notions expressed in the report is quite easy with some factual information about cloud file sharing and what to expect from a cloud vendor. And this is exactly what we are going to do below…

If there was a data breach 72% of people don’t think their cloud provider would tell them

This shouldn’t be the case as all cloud contracts stipulate that the vendor must notify their customers of any breaches. However to instill confidence in your cloud product look for a vendor that is transparent. Transparency is essential to maintaining control over your data once it enters the cloud and you can find this in a vendor that is compliant where you need them to be and has ISO27001 certification. This ensures they are security conscious and have all the relevant internal processes in place.

Breaches most likely to occur when increasing backups and storage of sensitive or confidential data by 50 per cent over a 12-month period

Personal data, confidential data or commercially sensitive data, if it is ring fenced by adequate protection at all times then it will be secure no matter how much you increase it or over what time period you increase it over. That adequate protection being multiple encrypted transfer methods for sending large files, including SFTP (SSH) transfer and comprehensive tracking and reporting to ensure full visibility and accountability for who is accessing your data and when. This is what you should expect from a vendor by way of secure data transfer.

Data breaches in the cloud could be up to three times more costly than breaches elsewhere

For starters, cloud platforms are more cost effective than other forms of data storage as you only pay for what you need. While an in-house FTP platform can be costly to maintain, administration heavy and struggle to keep up with the growth of a company’s data, a cloud platform is designed to scale up or down with the client’s needs. Many vendors offer price plans with scale options so you are not caught out by changing needs. Again look for a vendor that is open and transparent about pricing.

Hence it would be fair to conclude that feeling confident in a cloud file sharing platform and its secure data transfer capabilities rests heavily on how much knowledge you have of that service and what to expect from a cloud vendor.

So choose your vendor wisely and make sure you fully understand what you are signing up for.

Guest article written by: Maytech specialises in fast, 100% secure cloud-based file transfers – wherever you are in the world. For more information visit [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]Maytech’s website[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]Maytech’s website[/tp].