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Chosing Between a Private or Public Cloud

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The Cloud is, at first, a foreboding place for small and medium businesses to venture. There is a lot buzz surrounding the increased productivity and efficiency in cloud computing and storage. There is an equal amount of talk concerning security of cloud services. In the information age, there is no question that all businesses should at least consider moving to the cloud. The real question is what kind of cloud? On the most macro level, clouds can be divided into two types: Private and Public. Each have their own unique qualities.

Private clouds are those that built in-house. This cloud allows companies to shift workloads from server to server and disseminate new applications quickly. The biggest concern to a business thinking about building a cloud of their own is whether or not they have the IT support to create or even maintain one. If they can’t, the situation becomes more complicated. Do they expand their IT department or hire an outside firm to do it for them? In some situations, this is unavoidable such as in the pharmaceutical industry which has to comply with strict regulations concerning their data. But if you’re not a giant pharmaceutical company, a public cloud service may be the way to go.

A decade ago, people would say that we lived in the oil age. Now, it seems like we are living in the information age. A report done by analysts at Ovum show that IT services will grow 4.5 percent by 2013, impressive considering the state of the global economy. Companies survive and adapt based on the data at hand. Backing up that data is essential. In days long past, companies had to pay for dedicated storage. It was expensive and inefficient. Today, companies can just sync with an offsite cloud server. The data can flow and ebb as demand dictates without any fear of unused capacity or running out of space . This is important for keeping costs down. However, the issue of security does come up. The solution is simple, just as you would with storing your physical possessions, you need to find a reputable cloud host service. Find a company that is willing to comply to your specific security needs. Look into their past and see if they’ve had any breeches or unethical activity. It’ll become apparent that most cloud hosts are secure and on the level.

Perhaps neither private nor public clouds seem that appealing. That’s the sector that the hybrid hopes to fill. Microsoft recently announced that its Office 365 service will be creating a government-only cloud. This cloud was built to allow government agencies to share data with each other but not the general public. It’s not a huge leap to imagine hybrid clouds being the favored tool in a B2B setting. Companies in partnerships could share information with each other while being shielded from unwanted eyes. This would combine many of the security features of a private cloud while providing the ease of collaboration of a public cloud.

The cloud computing and storage landscape is in a state of flux. We may see public, private or even hybrid clouds become the standard. What is clear though, is that the cloud is here to stay. Companies that adopt this paradigm will have a leg up on their competitors, so they better get their head in the clouds.

Cloud Computing for Small Business

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Should you move your small business to a cloud computing platform?

Cloud computing centralizes your software and data on an Internet platform rather than on your desktop, laptop or on a server. Since the users will be sharing storage space, bandwidth, memory, software and processing power, you can amalgamate these functionalities and have one good system rather than furnishing all your staff members with powerful PCs or laptops replete with software and security packages. This holds many advantages for the small business owner:

  • Software tools are accessed online and don’t have to be installed on each computer. This means a reduction in software costs and IT department calls to install or maintain software on each and every device. You can even rent software rather than buying expensive packages upfront.
  • Massive savings on IT costs. Cloud hosting companies automatically load updates and patches and maintain your software and data. Your IT costs are reduced and the hosting company provides all your support, negating the need for an on-site IT department or specialist.
  • You save on hardware costs as expensive servers and data storage devices become a thing of the past.
  • Increased security: Anti-virus software, firewalls and spam protection is available on cloud at a fraction of the cost that a small business would have to pay independently for the same level of protection.
  • No unforeseen expenses: A service contract with your cloud provider covers all the IT maintenance and troubleshooting you need in a month. This makes for predictable monthly expenses as you pay a fixed monthly fee.
  • Broader telecommuting possibilities: Being able to access your information and software enables employees to work from home or on their own personal devices. This means no late nights at the office which improves employee satisfaction and increases off-site work options.
  • Great opportunity for new businesses: New businesses have a lower initial outlay and faster deployment. Since cloud is location and device independent, you don’t even have to have your office up and running to start making money.

Not everything about the cloud is silver lining. Unscheduled downtime will prevent you from accessing your data or using software that may be integral to the functioning of your business. Instead of having other computers which can be utilized to keep business ticking over, you are completely dependent on the availability of your cloud provider.

You must have sufficient security protocols in place to ensure the safety of your data. Establish policies on security for employees who work off site or use their own devices to access data and software. If security policies are in place, your data should be safe.

 

IT Security and Training reduce Cyber Attacks

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Increase in cyber attacks cost firms nearly $50K per year 

Cyber attacks for reasons political, financial or fun have spread exponentially over the last year. Increased spending on security and training is doing much to stem the flow of information into the wrong hands. A Symantec survey of 1, 425 IT managers across 32 countries revealed that the $35 billion currently spent on it support services and security support is expected to rise to over $49 billion in the next three years, with many companies opting for security through cloud computing packages. With data breaches effecting even the biggest corporations (the recent hacking of Zappo comes to mind), everyone is taking security more seriously. The survey found that cyber attacks in 2011 cost companies an average of $470,000 in lost revenue, downtime and loss of brand confidence.

Cyber attacks include spam, viruses, fraud, data theft, vandalism and denial of service. A poll by Juniper Network had 77% of respondents saying cyber attacks are more frequent and severe than they have been in the past, while 90% of respondents claimed to have suffered a data breach in the last year.

The rapid increase of attacks comes as employees bring their own devices into the workplace. 29% of breaches in security occurred on tablets and Smartphones and 34% on employee laptop computers. As employees increasingly introduce personal devices into the workplace, security has to be installed and protocols established to secure sensitive data.

Companies who turn to IT consulting specialists and invest in security and training for employees suffer a far lower rate of security breaches. The survey revealed that top-tier companies who used IT consulting firms to bolster security and staff training benefitted from two and half times fewer attacks than companies who did not invest in security.

Downtime is by far the most frustrating consequence of compromised security. Here the advantage of investing in an IT consulting firm to provide security is self-evident. The companies which had not made adequate investments in security suffered 2 765 hours of downtime a year in comparison to the relatively few 588 hours that secure companies endured.

Not utilizing IT consulting specialists or investing in security and training means damage and downtime that is sure to cost more than the initial security investment would have. It makes financial sense to invest in protecting customers and data from cyber attacks. As more employees bring their own devices to the workplace, it is imperative to establish security across the board and protocols aimed at securing data on all devices.