How Secure Is Your Cloud?

A recent Gartner survey showed that 70% of organizations using cloud services plan to increase their cloud spending due to COVID-19. However, there are well-documented risks associated with storing sensitive data in the cloud.

Service providers that show their cloud services to be reliable and compliant with applicable regulations, contractual requirements and industry best practice stand to be the provider of choice.

WHAT IS THE CLOUD?

Cloud computing is providing the opportunity for unprecedented growth. It connects people, unites businesses, optimizes processes, and creates value for new and existing customers.

THE PROS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

Real-time updates, software on-demand, resource and data-sharing, rapid scalability, data backup and business recovery are some of the benefits of cloud storage and processing.

Motivation for migration to the cloud is solidifying due to the technology’s versatility. Many companies are now choosing a cloud-first policy and pros often outweigh any cons.

Outsourcing infrastructure, platforms and software has a multitude of benefits, including easy access, rapid scalability, flexibility and automation. The real benefits can be summed up as – cost-saving, agility, service and availability.

During COVID-19, cloud computing has supported business continuity and availability, by enabling millions of users across many sectors to work from home.

THE CONS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

Cloud computing has several risks that must be considered. Security, privacy, availability and other factors must be addressed, to properly take advantage of the cloud in a profitable and competitive environment, as well as to ensure your organization’s resilience.

THE GENERAL RISKS

Each cloud type – private, community, public and hybrid – has its inherent issues. The general risks potentially applicable to all these environments are listed below:

• Internal incident, e.g. rogue administrators or failure to follow policy
• External cyber attacks, e.g. malware or ransomware, man-in-the-middle, escalation of privilege, or social engineering attacks
• Data loss or inadvertent disclosure, resulting in regulatory violations and/ or legal seizure
• Natural disasters
• Theft/loss of devices
• Contractual failure, e.g. supplier failure or lock-in, or lack of audit access

OUR SILVER LINING-PROVIDING SERVICES

Cloud service providers and customers must feel that the platform, storage and software work as they should. Service levels and security controls must meet client, organizational needs and comply with legislation, contractual requirements and relevant internationally accepted cloud standards.

We offer third-party certification assurance services. Independent assessment allows you to demonstrate that your cloud services meet appropriate service standards across a range of criteria, such as data protection, security and infrastructure.

Our international network of certification experts can support assessment and certification against several standards, including the most popular and respected cloud certification schemes.

Learn about SGS ISO 27001 services.

Learn about SGS Cyber Security Training and Personal Certification.