One of the biggest concerns for
business owners moving over to the cloud has and always will be security. Not
having hard copies of the data in your business seems scary to a lot of people
as they constantly fear all of their hard work can be erased at the click of a
mouse or stolen by some random person with a laptop at Starbucks. Data recovery
is another hotly debated topic. Any quality cloud provider with IT managed services will have your data saved in a primary server offsite from
your business and a backup in case that one fails. This is why the cloud is
considered a safer option for those whose business is in an area prone to
natural disasters. The big question business owners ask here is who all can
access their data from this server. All of this and more is addressed when
initially setting up managed hosting through your cloud provider. Here
are seven key points to address when signing a contract with a cloud provider
to ensure quality security of your data:
1.
Do Your Research on Security
Requirements
With industries like banking and
healthcare, the government or industry regulations may dictate that standards
for how your electronic data is stored and handled. Some businesses may not
even be able to use cloud services or are required to have their data stored in
a server within your country’s borders. Make sure both you and the cloud
provider are willing to adhere to any necessary regulations or you could get in
big trouble.
2.
Research the Potential Provider’s
Methods
For some people talking to the IT
pros can be intimidating but it always important to make sure you understand
every aspect of the service they are providing you. Ask about the data centers.
What happens if one is damaged or destroyed? Will there be more than one data
center? How many different places will store one? What sort of
reporting/check-ins does the provider do? Will they notify you in case of a
breach? All of these are important questions to research and ask potential
providers about.
3.
Determine Who Will Have Access to Server
Data Outside of Work
So many security breaches or system
compromises occur because people are using an unsecure connection to access important
data or messing with unsafe applications. Determine which employees will have
access to more secure information and plan to have certain files encrypted just
in case.
4. Read
and Study the Cloud Security Alliance Guidance Document
The CSA (Cloud Security Alliance) has
released a guide for companies who are new to
the cloud. Study it
and be sure to understand the major aspects of operating in the cloud before
making a final decision.
Reanna Gutierrez is a writer for OneNeck Solutions.
She enjoys helping small businesses better understand the cloud and the perks
of IT managed services.
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