There are two clear choices for data storage when it comes to businesses; off-site or on-site. Within these two areas are many different choices. But, typically, businesses will use cloud storage or on-site digital solutions to secure their data and records.
It was reported in 2022 that 60% of all business data is stored in the cloud now, and 94% of global enterprises are using cloud services of some type. However, there are risks with any data storage, and in 2021, Puma suffered a data breach from a ransomware attack on their cloud storage.
Is the cloud the proper place for you to store your company data? And what are the concerns and benefits of the cloud?
What are the perils of using data storage?
Many businesses still use some form of on-site data storage. Smaller companies may find this a suitable storage option. Others, though, will use several storage solutions, including both off-site and on-site, for extra protection.
A common question for business owners would be, is cloud storage safe? Well, all storage options have security concerns. On-site digital storage can be at risk from physical theft, data breaches, and catastrophes such as fires or floods.
Cloud storage can offer several layers of encryption and include backups in another location to avoid certain risks, such as fire. Yet, there are still some risks.
What are the concerns with cloud storage?
Cloud storage is very secure in general. Google Drive, for instance, has never been hacked. Yet, that doesn’t mean there’s no potential for hackers to breach this storage options.
Some of the risks of cloud storage are below:
- Account hijacking
- Non-compliance (GDPR, for instance)
- Employees using unauthorized software
- Shared servers
- Free cloud services with weak security
- APIs with security issues
- Less control of your data
These are just some risks of cloud storage, but they can mostly be avoided by making the right choices with your provider. For instance, a cloud storage API can allow data to be overexposed. So, it is worth researching which APIs are most secure.
Similarly, make sure your employees don’t file share with unauthorized programs and that your storage provider is fully compliant.
What advantages does cloud storage provide?
Apart from being able to store data off-site, cloud storage comes with a number of other advantages. As long as your choice of this storage has solid encryption, your business could benefit in the following ways.
As part of a disaster recovery plan
You must create a business continuity plan so that the wheels keep rolling in the event of a catastrophe. This could involve data loss, a data breach, or even vandalism, or a natural disaster.
Cloud storage means that you will have your valuable data safe and ready to be restored for use.
For easy data access
Keeping to the same theme of easy access to your business data, cloud storage means you can log in from anywhere with the internet.
For backups and storage
It makes little sense to store your data on-site with no backups anywhere else. One potential option is to use on-site digital storage and have cloud storage for extra security. Your provider may also automatically make further backups of your data.
Computer data storage management is more critical than ever. Having your data stored in the cloud means that if your business suffers a catastrophic event, your customer records and other sensitive information will be restored easily.
Cloud storage is scalable
How much storage you need will be dependent on the nature and size of your business. Any firm with less than 25 employees may get away with 10TB. Nevertheless, businesses grow and your infrastructure must be scalable.
Cloud storage can scale alongside your business as it expands in the future. Therefore you won’t need to be concerned about buying extra on-site storage and servers.
For data protection
Your data may be more secure in the cloud. Around 60% of businesses are hacked each year, making cybersecurity services an essential part of network management. A good cloud storage provider will have strong security and encryption. They will use secure interfaces and APIs and provide backups, and they are physically secure too.
The servers that are owned by cloud storage firms are held in secure locations with minimum access to employees or anyone else. So, they may be safer from vandalism and theft than your in-house servers.
Summary
Whether you choose to use cloud or in-house digital storage options is up to you. However, keeping your data in one place is an obvious security risk. Your system doesn’t need to be hacked. You could simply lose data through corrupted files.
Cloud storage may not be impenetrable, but the data is scrambled so that hackers cannot access or read it. And at worst, it can provide valuable backups and be part of disaster recovery management.
