Is Cloud Computing Safe under the Financial Crisis?

As a synonym for the new generation of computing models, cloud computing has given us the same kind of change in tactics and processes as the ever-changing clouds in the sky. When using the cloud, the data security is guaranteed? Where is the physical location for data storage? How data is protected? Who can access the data? How to get back the data ...

Rewrite the starter manual

Creating a new software company is not difficult, but the hardest part of the company's success is the determination to reconstruct the old rules to meet the real-time needs of the Internet age. Of course, getting a venture capital or an angel investment fund is the first step in getting the company started.

Last year, when the global financial crisis came, the U.S. government responded more with the purpose of helping those once "rock solid" institutions and restoring the public's confidence in them. And now we all realize that these so-called fundamentals are not as solid as we've always believed before, but the result is that even when the current return on investment plummets, the U.S. government requires public confidence in those institutions The public is bound to be skeptical.

Of course, we have not gone deep into bank bankruptcies and financial panics that have occurred countless times, after all these are not unusual things. Let's take a look at the relatively beneficial side of the current crisis - if it really exists - we have now been awakened by the pain of labor, and although we have lost a lot, we become more informed by our experience of the loss , The first is to abandon the financial complacency we once had.

When IT companies evaluate multiple cloud services offered by service providers to them, it is important to keep in mind all the lessons that this international financial crisis has given us and to recognize that in a sense, Data to the cloud, just as you choose an investment tool, be sure to pay attention to their basic attributes, such as security, availability and liquidity.

Fundamentally, the consideration of key attributes applies equally to any IT startup - safety must always be the most important consideration. At the same time, there are two practical factors that challenge the suitability and security of cloud services. Let us now focus on these two facts.

First and foremost is the clear fact that cloud computing is a new computing paradigm so that many of the established policies and processes may no longer be appropriate for legacy IT companies that do not change or need to make the necessary changes to accommodate the cloud Build.

In addition, with the advent of public clouds and other external cloud services, control over them is bound to be ripped off, at least in part, at a time when companies are fully aware of the consequences of lack of control and how to ensure that data Security is the most critical.

Look for light in the darkness

Although there are many more questions about data protection in the cloud, there is more to them than just these negative information. For many users of cloud services, in fact, they have some advantages, but they also can improve data availability, enhance data protection and security. Therefore, some of these concerns can translate into advantages based on the services provided and the specific provider.

In response to the concerns we've discussed, some providers of cloud services have established appropriate data security measures that are fully capable of serving the needs of users. For example, in terms of network intrusion prevention, detection and access control, more sophisticated policy processes have become more robust and monitoring mechanisms are in place.

From a data availability and data protection perspective, cloud providers that distribute data across geographies may offer a range of disaster recovery steps and get faster access to responses (think of the data as geographically dispersed , Users can access distributed cloud services much faster than one can connect to corporate headquarters over a slow network.) Also, do not forget that with these disparate clouds, the cost of providing more powerful data backup capabilities from providers is low.

Reporting and auditing control mechanisms for security and data protection are common challenges that many companies face. A cloud provider, especially if it can provide comprehensive SLAs, may provide more complete data protection reports, thus relieving some regulatory burdens.

Use cloud services

Within the company, users may have many opportunities to use cloud services. Many companies have deployed applications through SaaS providers instead of hosting them internally. You can also leverage cloud services at the middleware layer, server layer, and storage service layer. At the same time, cloud providers also offer a full suite of services at different levels of security, from services without security mechanisms to those with high-security data security services such as access control and encryption, and other forms of protection.

At this time, do not assume that the lack of specific protection services is of no value. The crux of the problem is understanding needs and keeping security in line with specific services. A specific data set or application may not require a complete set of security mechanisms. One of the main attractions of the cloud is your freedom to choose your service portfolio exactly what you need for a feature, and you should also know that there are many applications that do not require protection in the cloud.

Before companies consider cloud services, there should be a clear understanding of service-tier attributes, such as basic attributes such as data protection and data availability. Assuming that there are multiple service layers that are tailored to the different needs of the enterprise, some of these services should perform functions such as data migration. In addition to ensuring the user's need for security, performance, and the like, and determining whether the cloud service of choice meets these needs, each step of the user's choice and effort should be in compliance with the requirements of the service level agreement (SLAs).

At present, all levels of cloud services are rapidly developing, and new services are available every day. This means that businesses can have more and more options tailored to their specific needs, and ultimately achieve the result of cost-benefit optimization. Although the use of cloud services is just one particular area of ​​many IT services, cloud services continue to expand as the overall level of IT services grows and companies evolve toward cloud management concepts.

The most fundamental guarantee for continuous expansion is to have a well-established, service-focused approach to data security