Keeping Data Secure In The Cloud

Cloud-SecurityOne of the most common fears we hear from business owners about moving to the cloud is, “Will the cloud protect my data, especially in the case of fire, flooding, or smoke damage?”  And our response is that the cloud is one of the safest places for your data.  We compare it to taking the money you are hiding under the mattress and moving it to a bank.

Given the recent storms that hit the East coast, recovering businesses may be struggling to retrieve and restore data from physical servers.  Unfortunately, disasters will occur in nature and disrupt daily living and business.  But, with a cloud hosting solution, a company can protect its data and programs even if there is physical damage to their office.

One of the most valuable benefits a cloud-hosted solution provides is that they maintain your servers, storage devices, handle network switching, and any other physical hardware that relates to your infrastructure all in a certified data center.

The data center should offer the following data security and protection measures:

  • 24/7 manned security in an unmarked building
  • Redundant power with back-up generators
  • Fire protection (in the event a fire were to take place, water is not used but rather a fire retardent chemical that is released only at the location of the fire rather than throughout the entire center)
  • Flood protection (the data center itself should be located on high ground as well as offer raised floors where the the physical servers and other hardware reside)
  • Multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This is a requirement in the event one ISP goes down for an unplanned and unforeseen amount of time. Should this occur, the back up ISPs are already running and the data center never loses an internet connection.

No matter how secure a company’s data may be in a certified data center, there is no way to ever completely guarantee that a disaster won’t be damaging to the center. However, having a knowledgeable team in place to mitigate and manage those risks can make all the difference.