Datacentreplus founder and Managing Director, Mashukul Hoque, talks about security and the Cloud:
I have seen countless articles and surveys where security is cited as the biggest concern for Cloud adoption. When setting up the data centre I knew security would be an area I must prioritise for customers to feel safe when using my infrastructure. I spent a lot of time and money on securing my data centre, but there still seems a disconnect between our levels of security and the perceived levels of security.
Now I can understand when the cloud first started to rise (excuse the pun), people would be sceptical around new technology. But now, I find it hard to see why some people still hold a very negative view of Cloud-based computing, with the fear of security hovering over their head like a… cloud.
Is it me?
Not to blow my own trumpet too hard but myself and other cloud providers are going to have more resources and time to spend on their security than most businesses do in-house, so how does security still tarnish cloud uptake? Well, the main fire seems to come from privacy ‘experts’ who warn users of data leakage and other problems. However, these issues remain outside of the cloud. Could it be that the issue isn’t the cloud but, you? No, is the natural reaction but let’s take a second to delve deeper. As a starter, there has been some research that shows the biggest risk to the cloud is its users. See our: compromised from the inside infographic.
Traditional cloud hosting providers generally focus on the network and data security. They will manage the devices, network storage and other parts of the infrastructure. But there is another aspect we need cover, which is: what is put in the cloud?
It’s you!
If you take an unsecured application that has vulnerabilities and put it into a secure network, the vulnerabilities remain and your application is still insecure.
One of the benefits of cloud hosting is the ability pretty much to ‘drag and drop’ applications into their environment with little hassle (there are exceptions, of course). Users can start to reap benefits from the cloud almost instantly. If the application has security vulnerabilities dragging it into a secure cloud isn’t a remedy to its underlying issues. No matter where you put the application the security issue will haunt you until the problem is addressed.
Attacks on web-based applications have been on the rise and are one of the top risks facing businesses today. Without action, we would expect this form of attack to carry on rising as more apps are connected and other means of access are reduced.
We have fast, reliable and secure virtual and physical platforms which you can bring your application to, but the bottom line is that it is still your responsibility to make sure your application is secure.
