The advent of cloud computing has been a game changer for SMBs. Businesses of any size can now harness sophisticated technology systems that were once only within reach for larger organizations. Massive growth and high adoption rates affirm the widely-discussed benefits that cloud computing can bring businesses.
Cloud computing didn’t start off so well-received, however. ERP security in the cloud was once a major concern for decision makers. Businesses were reluctant to trust third parties and a system that delivered their highly sensitive data over shared network infrastructures. However, as the hype and adoption of cloud computing has grown over the years, changes in policies and procedures have made the cloud a relatively low-risk option. After all, most cloud vendors can do a much better job at providing physical and digital security, since their businesses revolve around the systems and protocols to do so.
Here are the four main areas of concern regarding security in the cloud:
Physical Security
Despite misconceptions, Tier 1 and Tier 2 vendors, in general, can do a much better job of protecting equipment than can SMBs. Vendors rely on video surveillance and access logs to track who enters the building and use technologies such as radio-frequency identification and fingerprint authentication to restrict intruders from accessing the facilities.
Transmission Security
One of the selling points of the cloud is its accessibility; you need only an Internet connection and a browser to access the system. To secure the data exchange, vendors encrypt sessions using Secure Sockets Layer and Secure HTTP. With encryption, however, comes a detrimental effect on network performance that could impair services and applications.
Access Security
The cloud is a distributed system, so malicious traffic in the way of a denial-of-service attack can disrupt the service for all users, not just one. Most vendors provide access, or perimeter, security in the way of firewall architecture, intrusion detection, and application gateways, but the more advanced the protection, the higher the price point.
Data Security
Data is the lifeblood of an organization, and data loss of any kind can cripple that organization. Ninety-four percent of companies that experience some form of data loss go out of business, claims a 2012 report from Unitrends. Why, then, would anyone put their data in the hands of a third party? Because businesses aren’t that great at data security, either. Ninety-six percent of all business workstations are not backed up routinely, and 50 percent of all tape backups fail to restore.
Read the full article here to learn more about securing your data in the cloud!
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