More security in the cloud: four advantages of cloud services compared to on-premises. Increased remote work has greatly accelerated corporate cloud adoption. For many organizations, home office has now become part of the corporate culture.
However, this shift towards New Work requires a shift to new policies and security tools that are appropriate for the modern remote workplace. Endpoint protection services, if they are not already, must be migrated to cloud services to ensure data protection across the company. Because of this shift, security leaders should also reconsider data security, disaster recovery, and backup policies to ensure that they are still appropriate for a remote environment.
Switching to cloud services offers considerable advantages compared to on-premises solutions. The following is an overview of how companies can benefit from more agility, scalability, cost reduction and an improved security situation by moving to the cloud.
Agility, scalability, service availability and speed
Sticking to legacy software can lead to disadvantages in the course of a company's digital transformation. Because restrictive security guidelines based on the physical premises of a company can hinder the productivity of employees. In addition, solutions designed to block endpoint threats such as malware and exploits on local networks do not make sense when users are away from the office.
Eliminating outdated code and legacy platforms strengthens the company's security position, as outdated, on-site systems are often attractive targets for hackers. When it comes to cyberattacks, cloud services are not a panacea, but according to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 70 percent of security breaches last year involved local environments, while only 24 percent were in cloud resources.
Integration of new, emerging technologies
Cloud-based services are also better equipped when it comes to integrating new, emerging technologies and standards. With on-premises solutions, companies can only incorporate so much new technology until security teams have to install new infrastructure. By investing in the cloud, companies can increase their efficiency and reduce costs. For small businesses looking to expand, the technologies contained in cloud solutions, such as AI and machine learning, can prove particularly valuable when the time comes to scale.
Affordability of cloud services
Maintenance, security and updates, power, space - when companies buy an on-premises infrastructure, it belongs to them; however, without a third party, all associated costs will also fall on the owner. By moving to the cloud, a company can not only reduce power consumption and space requirements, but also save resources that are devoted to buying expensive computer hardware or performing software updates.
Speaking of updates: the cloud can also save a company from having to hire additional staff to maintain the on-site infrastructure. Because software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service companies cover the costs of maintaining and upgrading data centers and systems, companies moving to the cloud can also spend on software development and deployment caused by the facility.
Security in the cloud
Tim Bandos, Chief Information Security Officer at Digital Guardian
While initially there were mixed feelings about security in the cloud, the use of at least one form of cloud infrastructure is common for companies today. According to a recent survey by IBM, more than 150 corporate executives said they plan to migrate most of their non-cloud applications, 75 percent, to cloud environments over the next three years.
One of the reasons for this acceptance is the assumption that data stored in a cloud environment is more secure compared to data in on-premises data centers. Cloud providers usually have more robust cybersecurity measures in place to protect sensitive data. It is the sole responsibility of a cloud provider to ensure the data integrity of their customers and to ensure that their systems are up to date with the latest security. To this end, cloud security providers must also ensure that the data is compliant and up to date, which also helps to minimize risk.
Improved general security situation
Complemented with the right components, the benefits of the cloud can help an organization maintain a more robust cloud security posture. The right policies, technologies, applications, and controls help organizations ward off external and internal threats, protect valuable data such as intellectual property, and create much-needed visibility into the applications and software in their environment. In return, companies gain more time and flexibility for their employees through more security, agility, scalability and speed. In the recent Cisco CISO benchmark study, 93 percent of CISOs agreed that moving security to the cloud has made the organization more efficient, allowing their security teams to focus on other critical areas.
Moving to the cloud can be a big change. However, as soon as companies have set the course for a secure switch, they can take full advantage of the cloud, especially when compared to on-premises solutions.
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Via Digital Guardian Digital Guardian offers uncompromising data security. The data protection platform provided from the cloud was specially developed to prevent data loss from insider threats and external attackers on the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The Digital Guardian Data Protection Platform can be used for the entire corporate network, traditional endpoints and cloud applications. For more than 15 years, Digital Guardian has made it possible for companies with high data volumes to protect their most valuable resources using SaaS or a fully managed service. With Digital Guardian's unique policy-less data transparency and flexible controls, organizations can protect their data without slowing down their business.