Cloud Computing – Is Your Cloud Storage Secure?
Cloud storage and cloud computing seems to be the go-to for most individuals and companies. It is easy to set up and it allows files to be accessible from multiple devices with ease. The advantages of cloud computing also mean you can feel some sense of safety that your cloud data will always be available. In short, gone are the days of backing up in multiple locations.
However, when your data is stored somewhere in cyberspace through cloud computing, it is easy to feel concerned about how simple it is to access.
Cloud computing encryption
Part of the reason your cloud data is very safe is that the data is individually encrypted by cloud service providers. Without the right key, your information would look like gibberish to anyone taking a peek. It would look like a random mass of numbers and letters.
The cloud computing question then becomes: who holds the key to the encryption?
To ensure flexibility of service, this key is often held by the cloud storage company. You gain access to the key when you log in using your password. This means the cloud service is a little less secure, as if this company is compromised, then your key could be available to those who hacked the company. As soon as the external party has access to the key, they can gain access to your data.
Increasing security in cloud computing
The chances of cloud service providers being attacked by a third party are slim. The basis of success for the company is the security of your data. Such a breach would inevitably mark the end of business for this cloud computing service. It is with this in mind that we can assure you that cloud storage is more secure than data held on your standalone computers.
However, if you want to increase the cloud computing security of your storage, then you can hold a private key. This means that you alone have the power to encrypt the files and later view the same cloud data. Although incredibly secure, the drawback is that if you lose this encryption key, then your cloud data becomes unusable. You also lose a lot of the services that commercial providers offer – such as search functionality.
Your choice between a commercially provided cloud service and a private encryption key is down to the importance of the data secured. If the cloud data only has value to you, then the level of cloud computing security offered by cloud companies is adequate. No-one is likely going to take extreme measures to find your photographs of Timmy the Bengal Cat, for example. The passwords provided by cloud service providers and the two-stage authentication process should be adequate security.
However, if you feel that self-encryption is essential, then you will need support from IT specialists. You are looking at the digital equivalent of a bank safe for your information.
Cloud computing – what to do next
Speak to an advisor, and they will be clear that cloud storage is safe. It is undoubtedly more reliable than data held on standalone computers that are made vulnerable by the fallibility of the users.
For most people, the standard security offered by the commercial cloud companies is more than adequate. However, if you need the highest degree of certainty, then there are means of gaining this guarantee.
Contact Serval Solutions if you need advice on making your data in the cloud secure.