Cloud computing allows for shared software and resources, but also comes with security risks. A risk assessment should be conducted and identified risks should be prioritized and mitigated. Private clouds can provide better security for sensitive data, and business continuity efforts should be included in any security plan.
Cloud computing is an information technology that features shared software, shared resources, and Internet-based computing. Companies use cloud computing technologies to achieve dynamic scalability and resource flexibility. However, cloud computing also comes with risks. Whether a business uses a public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, cloud computing security matters. Cloud computing security tips include learning how to identify the risks of a given cloud computing project and deciding how to best prevent or mitigate those risks.
Security for cloud computing begins with a risk assessment for a particular cloud computing project. By using a public cloud, for example, businesses and government agencies could put themselves at risk of data loss or theft. This can be a particular problem, given the importance of protecting confidential client and customer data. Other cloud computing risks relate to the vendor providing the storage. Part of cloud computing security is ensuring that vendors follow the security agreements set out in the contract.
Another cloud computing security tip is to devise a means to mitigate the identified risks. Companies should prioritize risks, based on how seriously they could impact operations and how cost-effective it would be to mitigate them. Risks that are deemed serious and that can also be managed cost-effectively should be addressed first. Depending on the resources an organization has, it can then continue the list of cloud computing security issues until all or as many of them are fixed.
For example, privacy and data concerns could be resolved by switching from a public cloud setup to a private cloud setup. When organizations send sensitive data through their email systems, a private cloud could provide the necessary hosting capacity and security. Private clouds work by being hosted exclusively for a client organization. Public clouds, on the other hand, can be shared by dozens, even hundreds, of clients. If an organization decides that its data is too important to risk being lost or stolen, the choice for cloud computing security may be not to place the data in a cloud at all.
Finally, any cloud computing security plan should include business continuity efforts. These focus on maintaining information technology capabilities in case some kind of failure occurs. This could include anything from the loss of electricity and telecommunications services at a particular facility to a massive data loss or security breach.
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