This cloud word and associated jargon has become a bit of a buzz phrase. Here are some key points to consider when navigating the world of the cloud:
In the cloud?
When someone refers to data or file storage being in the cloud, they really mean it’s not in their computer hard drive. It isn’t really in the white fluffy clouds. It’s saved on multiple servers off site. The data is managed by specialised teams who have back-up copies on separate servers so that if one fails or is hit by a cyclone, the other kicks in. As the user of this service, you are unaware of the back-ups and contingencies, you can just access your files with no interruption.
Where is your data?
Whilst the cloud concept is simple enough, this doesn’t mean all suppliers in this space are credible. It is important to understand who is looking after your cloud service, where they are located and if they are reputable. Can you imagine if you lost all of your data? Given you are trusting all of this to a third party, do some due diligence and check what’s included with your service.
Is cloud storage safe and secure?
If you have the right tools in place such as multi-factor authentication, conditional access and a business grade firewall, cloud storage can be even safer than on-premise data storage.
Cloud services are certainly the modern way of IT and understanding how to best use this service and tailor it for your business addressing security, back-ups, and setting it up properly is vital. We do not recommend using the default settings and just hoping for the best.
