12-27-21 | Blog Post
There was a time when businesses were cautious about moving to the cloud because of security concerns. The times have changed. Today cloud services provide better security than the average business can achieve on its premises. Here are five key reasons.
Reputable cloud providers place their servers in safe data centers. They’re built to minimize the risk of fire and natural disasters. The computers are isolated from the plumbing. Entry to the building is limited to authorized people; even customers seldom get inside. All visitors are logged, and surveillance systems watch for intruders. The typical cloud data center is a nondescript brick or concrete building with few windows, if any.
An on-premises data center is usually in a busy office building. Many visitors come and go. Even in a well-maintained building, so much activity runs the risk of accidents that damage equipment. Corporate spies can get into the building and even the server rooms.
A good cloud data center pays as much attention to guarding the network as guarding the building. Protective software monitors all data activity. If something suspicious happens, personnel are always on-shift to take quick action.
Next-generation firewalls examine incoming data and screen out packets that shouldn’t be there. They don’t just block unwanted protocols and data sources, but examine data for application-specific attacks and block them.
All activity goes into system logs, so that data center analysts can study attempted attacks and see if they have to take additional action.
From the system manager’s viewpoint, a cloud service is a single location. It may be spread over several computers, but the manager doesn’t have to worry about that. On-premises systems typically run on more than one machine, and each one has to be managed. More complexity means more chances of a security hole.
A single management interface lets the administrator add or delete users and provide fine-grained access management. Users get access to the systems they need, but no more, minimizing the damage from a compromised account. If a service is no longer needed, it can be cleanly deleted.
Keeping a network service secure requires installing software updates promptly. When dangerous bugs in system software and applications are discovered, the publisher issues a patch as soon as it can. Once it does, criminals know about the weaknesses and target unpatched installations.
Security software also needs to be kept up to date. New kinds of malware show up every day, and it’s a never-ending job to maintain software that will guard against them.
A typical business has to deal with a lot of issues, and keeping software up to date can be hard when there are so many other priorities. An update on a local machine can disrupt service if something unexpected happens. With a cloud center, the software is its business, so it will give its full attention to keeping it running and updated.
Networks have grown complicated. Businesses give access to personal smartphones, PoS terminals, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, as well as the traditional workstations. People telecommute from offsite.
Every endpoint is a potential target for intruders. Cloud services offer Unified Endpoint Management to limit the risk. The UEM service identifies authorized devices and doesn’t let others in. It can remotely erase lost or stolen devices. Its configuration can restrict a service to specified, approved endpoints.
Smartphones are a valuable way to stay in touch, but a BYOD policy is risky if not properly managed. UEM can make sure that only devices which satisfy its security requirements can access the cloud service.
Otava offers cloud services with state-of-the-art security, with a nationwide network of data centers. If you’re looking for secure, stable services with high uptime, get in touch with us to learn more.
