Is Your Data Really Secure in the Cloud?

Are you thinking about moving all or part of your computer network ‘to the cloud’ but worried about who can access your data? You’re not alone. Did you know that cloud-service providers often provide a more secure environment – surprised? Data centers used by cloud providers are highly secure and highly redundant, making them very secure.

Most small businesses do not have high-security measures in place for their on-site data, and lack good password protection policies, firewall management, and backup procedures. It’s not uncommon for us to hear about someone backing up their data to a hard drive or thumb drive then finding out the data was overwritten or the drive is damaged, or using weak passwords like ‘password’ or the name of a pet.

If you’re considering the cloud, here are the top five security questions you must know the answers to if you’re going to trust your data in the cloud:

Who outside of my company will have access to my data?
What security measures are in place whenever a mobile device or laptop is lost or stolen?
With what frequency is my data backed up, and where are those backups?
What happens if my cloud provider goes out of business? How do I get my data, and what software would I need in order to access it?
Where is my data actually located?

Cloud providers are usually more diligent than most small businesses when it comes to security, and they invest millions of dollars ensuring all aspects of security are as tight as possible. We’ve spent a considerable amount of time investigating cloud solutions and vendors for our clients. We even provide some private cloud solutions. We’re also very engaged in implementing and maintaining security protocols and backups for our clients’ networks. Visit our website for short articles, video updates, and other information on these topics – we’d love to help you!