One of the main reasons that people use on-premises software hosted on their own server is because they feel it’s more secure to have complete control. Their data is onsite, accessible online, or offline.
They may think, “Sure the cloud is convenient, but I want total control of my data for security.”
But is hosting your software and data onsite really the most secure method?
Statistics on cyberattacks show otherwise. According to the 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 70% of data breaches occurred with on-premises assets, and only 24% of them happened in the cloud.
When thinking about your network security and business continuity, having your backups and business applications in the same physical location as your office isn’t really adding to its security.
We live in a virtual world, where attacks happen from all corners of the world, and any data that’s connected to the internet can be at risk, no matter where it’s located.
Security involves the standards and measures being taken to protect the servers holding processes and data, and in most these tend to be more stringent with cloud platform providers.
It’s not that companies running their own software can’t apply stringent security standards, it’s just that in most cases they don’t. This is why the number of data breaches for on-premises assets is nearly 3x that of cloud assets.
What Makes Cloud Security Better Than Individual Onsite Security?
More Personnel & Resources
Small and mid-sized companies often don’t have the ability to hire a dedicated person to handle on-premises server and network security. So, they may be behind on things like software and firmware updates and upgrades to the latest threat protection apps.
Cloud providers like Microsoft, Amazon, and others have a vast amount of resources dedicated to keeping their networks completely secure for their customers.
54% of company security leaders say they can’t properly protect their data since the move to remote teams.
Very few smaller companies can match the security of someone like Microsoft in their on-premises servers. For example, Microsoft Azure cloud server solutions use some of the following security protocols:
- DDoS Protection to prevent Distributed Denial of Service attacks
- Meet a wide range of compliance standards from around the globe
- Regular auditing of security
- Active Directory for user access security
- Azure Information Protection that allows classification of data for automated security
- High-level encryption and key vaults
Microsoft notes that it has a “team of more than 3,500 global cybersecurity experts that work together” to keep your cloud business assets secure. That is more than even most large enterprises can match.
Better Physical Security
Cloud providers provide 24/7 surveillance of their facilities and typically have technicians on site all the time. Access to data centers is tightly controlled and includes both outer perimeter and inner perimeter security. Only authorised personnel can enter cloud data centers.
When it comes to office security for a business with on-premises assets, there may be multiple employees and visitors that could physically access the server. This puts data more at risk of either malicious or accidental leaks or damage.
Redundancy in Case of Physical Damage
One of the best practices for business continuity is to keep a copy of all your data offsite. This ensures that in the event of physical damage from a typhoon, earthquake, fire, or another disaster, your data would still be accessible.
Cloud data centers not only have physical protections in place against natural disasters but also include redundancy. This means that all cloud data is copied to another server in a different location as a backup just in case anything were to happen.
This provides important protection and ensures resiliency in the face of a disaster.
Ongoing Security Upgrades
Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google can’t afford NOT to keep their data centers upgraded with the latest security patches and new AI-powered advances in threat detection and response.
For companies that are running their own server, the cost of keeping their security apparatus upgraded is often too much. So, they may end up running older software and not keeping it properly upgraded, this puts them at a much higher risk of a breach.
Shared Responsibility Is Important
When using cloud environments for your data and business processes, this must be a “shared responsibility.” This means that while they provide enterprise-class security features on the backend and flexible settings for your cloud services on the front end, you still need to do your part.
That entails understanding how you have your cloud security set. For example, have you turned on multi-factor authentication? Do you filter incoming emails?
When working in the cloud you should utilise the resources provided (like best practices and tip sheets), as well as the help of a trusted IT provider to ensure your settings are customised to the best security protection for your data.
Get Help Migrating to a Secure Cloud Environment
Unsure where to start with migrating from on-premises to the cloud? NetCare can help your Sydney area business with a smooth transition and ongoing security consultation.
Contact us today to learn more. Call (02) 9114 9920 or .