Cloud security isn’t just mist and mirrors
There’s still a lot of discussion about security in the cloud, how secure your data is, and more. And I’m sure that discussion will continue for months to come. But it’s important to look at the issue in perspective. How many of the cloud security nay-sayers are really applying the same standards to their own systems, servers and data centres?
As this article on the US portal ComputerWorld points out, cloud applications are subject to far fewer threats than data sitting within the average company’s building.
Is there easy physical access to the cloud? No: cloud hosting is done in massive data centres with multiple perimeter check points to restrict access. Are there thousands of services running on the network with little visibility into what they are? No. Are there rogue access points? No – firewalling and network perimeter defences are airtight. The risk of disgruntled employees? There is maybe a small risk, but far less than in any ordinary company.
Not to mention the fact that cloud apps have resilience and multiple failovers, and don’t lose your data in the event of a crash. Compared with these points, the average company has a long way to go to match cloud security.