Cloud is an IT service that enables companies such as healthcare providers or insurance carriers to run a virtualized operating system on virtual hardware on multiple physical servers. Cloud can create a great potential to bolster business productivity and to reduce IT expenses. The benefits companies can take advantage of with the cloud include reduced costs, improved flexibility, and accessibility.
Companies often worry about their security when they switch to a cloud-based environment as the cloud service provider takes the responsibility of monitoring and accessing resources for business operations. There is nothing to be worried about when it comes to your company’s security with cloud. Companies can boost their confidence by asking the right questions and evaluating the cloud service provider’s efficiency in addressing cloud issues.
The success of your business transformation depends upon the “trust and verify” relation between organizations and cloud service providers. Most people consider cloud to be a new IT initiative, but it’s not. The concept of cloud was implemented before it became eminent. For example, email services such as Yahoo and Gmail.
With cloud, good return on investment can be expected because it allows companies to focus more on core business operations instead of wasting time, effort and money on managing IT resources. Service providers and companies can control each cloud service delivery model – Software as a Service, Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service, within its own level. All service delivery models help organizations to improve business operations and productivity.
Software as a Service:
Organizations use cloud software for customer relationship management and accounting. Service providers handle software installation, maintenance, and upgrades. They can assure (?) control of security management to their clients as this delivery model doesn’t deal with hardware or storage. Companies can easily manage who can access the cloud and how applications installed in it are being configured.
Platform as a Service:
Companies can develop customized cloud software pertaining to their business requirements. For example, if a company wants to provide customized services to customers with cloud, then PaaS enables developing requirements specific to cloud software. The main concern a company can have is they have to share some of the services with others so, there will be no track of who can access the cloud and how applications are being installed, configured, upgraded, and used.
Infrastructure as a Service:
Companies can have maximum control of the cloud and they should pay on a per use basis. For example, payment for accessing services and applications is different, and payment for further control of the cloud to tap the operating system is also different. Cloud service providers offer IaaS as a private cloud, so companies can access and monitor networking and storage environments.
Whatever service delivery model it is, SaaS or PaaS or IaaS, companies have to consider the same factors for cloud-based environments that they consider to ensure security within their own IT infrastructure. The only difference with cloud-based environments is that other elements are also available within their own data centers and applications, which are controlled by service providers. Organizations should glean the knowledge of cloud security issues and solutions to ensure the most effective relationship with their service provider.
In the next post, you can find a detailed explanation of each cloud service delivery model’s security issues and solutions.
Sudhakar Goverdhanam
CEO Prime Technology Group LLC
Prime Directives 