Are on-premise IT solutions really more secure than the cloud?

Cloud sceptics have argued for years that security in the cloud could never match the on-site equivalent; however, as more businesses make the leap, is cloud computing really a security risk in comparison with traditional in-house solutions?

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Cloud ubiquity

The question of cloud security is one that should really be considered more closely by organisations of all sizes, especially as many firms are currently incapable of adopting this type of outsourced IT platform because they do not have skilled staff to handle the migration securely.

A lack of understanding is seemingly to blame for the anxiety levels surrounding the cloud, with even businesses that have embraced it often unwilling to transfer mission-critical apps and data to services hosted by third-party vendors.

Successful breaches have further sullied the cloud’s reputation, with Apple’s iCloud suffering the most widely publicised attack back in 2014. The fact that social engineering techniques and human error were used to make this a success has largely been ignored in many circles.

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Realistic concerns

To get away from the speculation and the false assumptions, it makes sense to compare on-site IT and the cloud directly in terms of the security risks they face.

One key advantage the cloud offers over internal data storage is that because the servers housing the information are remote, they are much harder to access. If employees with malicious intentions are an issue, this is the easiest way to prevent them doing any damage.

Another way in which the cloud can outstrip in-house IT in the security stakes is in terms of regulatory compliance. Cloud vendors and endpoint security management firms such as https://www.promisec.com are held to a higher standard and have the commercial impetus and necessary resources to make sure that protection is up to scratch in the face of emerging threats.

It is in the interest of a cloud provider to make its systems as secure as possible and to dedicate itself to keeping ahead of the curve. For many businesses, it is simply not feasible to achieve similar levels of compliance and scrutiny on house on an ongoing basis.

Opinion is quickly turning in the cloud’s favour, with the myth that on-premise security is tighter being dispelled as more people experience everything that the cloud has to offer.

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Roger Walker

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