Cloud Computing & Server Security: What You Need To Know

Cloud Options Actually Provide Better Security

Many businesses have a misconception that security isn’t as effective through cloud computing options as it is through an internally managed server array. It turns out this isn’t the case, and there are a few reasons why. It’s easier to manage and monitor applications, data is more effectively secured, and you’re able to do more with what you have.

Also, there are a variety of apps which help you enhance operations and can more closely manage security concerns. The cloud is always developing, because it must retain cutting-edge viability. If cloud solutions aren’t the best on the market, competitive ability declines. Companies providing cloud computing have as a core directive reliable systems operation, and appropriate redundancy measures in terms of security.

Unless a business can afford to make serving multiple big-ticket clients with a massive server array its core prerogative, there’s no way to compete with the cloud. Amazon’s cloud has over a million servers in it.

Getting Your Mind Around The Cloud

Clouds work like this: servers spread the data load similar to how pixels each represent a portion of a picture on a screen, or LEDs sequenced together make a picture on a lighted billboard. With cloud computing, each individual “pixel” or “LED” is instead a top-tier server. The way the data is spread, many servers can be offline without damaging the information stored across them.

Think of it like holographic storage; or a RAID array. RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. Basically you’ve got multiple “hard drives”. When one crashes, you just plug in a new one. The data isn’t affected, because it’s managed across the other hard drives in the RAID array.

Cloud computing is like that, but exponentially greater, facilitating expanded potentiality. In terms of security, cloud computing is very safe. Additionally, competition and forward development predicates use of the latest antivirus and patch protocols. You’re more likely to be alerted of something like the WannaCry virus if you’re involved with a cloud provider.

WannaCry And Consequences

The WannaCry virus entered networks through Server Message Block (SMB) ports, then initiated ransom. Internal employee error wasn’t that which ushered the ransomware in when it came to WannaCry. North Korea made the virus—a government, not a group of hackers. Basically, North Korea became aware of a back door engineered into certain computer systems through the NSA’s involvement. So they exploited it.

Now the leak of documents which made this information available hit in March of 2017, but WannaCry didn’t hit until May of the same year. So businesses who were appraised of the vulnerability were able to prepare themselves. Still, in over 150 countries, there were businesses who were not prepared.

Avoid The Threats Which Can Be Avoided

If you’re working through a cloud provider, your business will necessarily be appraised of such threats more swiftly. As a matter of course, such operations will apply patches and other security measures to operations.

Something else to consider is the human component. Internally, employees may just represent your greatest security risk. Only a minimal percentage of this risk comes from deliberate sabotage—though that is a factor. No, the majority comes through simple employee error.

Some on your team will go to the wrong site, skim an email sent by a hacker to steal data, or be lax in password management. There are any of a hundred things that could go wrong; keeping employees continuously educated through year-round upgrades is key. With cloud computing, data is safeguarded not just from cybercriminal threat or disaster, but from those who regularly use it.

Emergency Options, And What Works For You

Enterprise access management solutions by SolarWinds and other purveyors of cloud technology help businesses facilitate more reliable BDR, or Backup and Data Recovery. It’s not enough just to have data preserved in the event of a hacking, accident, or natural disaster. You need protocols in place to recover that data. Also, you need your public persona to remain operational. Cloud-based database mirroring can make that happen.

Internal server security is possible, and this may be the route for your business; but there are private and hybrid cloud options too. Data can be divvied up according to importance, and you can have the benefit of private data management with public cloud opportunities; either of which stand to secure information better than server arrays run internally. Different alternatives will work better or worse for different businesses, but cloud computing will generally provide better overall security than most internal operations.