Cloud computing is an information technology that features shared software, shared resources, and Internet-based computing. Businesses use cloud computing technologies to gain dynamic scalability and resource flexibility. Cloud computing, however, comes with risks as well. Whether a company uses a public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid cloud, cloud computing security is important. Tips for cloud computing security include learning 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 an assessment of the risks for a particular cloud computing project. In using a public cloud, for example, companies and public entities could be putting themselves at risk for lost or stolen data. This can be a particular problem given the importance of protecting confidential client and customer data. Other cloud computing risks involve the vendor that is providing the storage. Part of cloud computing security is ensuring that vendors follow the security agreements set out in the contract.
Another tip for cloud computing security is to devise a means to mitigate the identified risks. Companies should prioritize the 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 can also be handled in a cost-efficient manner should be tackled first. Depending on the resources an organization has, it can then continue down the list of cloud computing security issues until all or as many as possible are rectified.
For instance, privacy and data issues could be solved by switching from a public cloud to a private cloud setup. When organizations send confidential data across their e-mail systems, a private cloud could provide the hosting capacity and the security necessary. Private clouds work by being hosted exclusively for one 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 might be to not 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 the event some kind of failure happens. This could include everything from loss of electricity and telecommunication services at a given facility to a massive data loss or security breach.