Is it time to move all your computing to the cloud? There needs to be more certainty surrounding the actual benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing and its regulation in the UK. We’ve done all the reading for you, and we’re ready to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing and its regulations in the UK. Here’s what you need to know before searching for business cloud services with a managed cloud computing company.
Cloud Computing and Business Cloud Services
The term “cloud computing” refers to a certain kind of internet computing in which shared networked computers are used rather than dedicated hardware. When the cloud’s resources are more extensive and distributed over a wider internet pool, more people may access the cloud at once. Although there are several flavours of cloud computing, they all rely on pooling resources from a central database for greater efficiency.
Applications, computer software, and an internet network are all examples of resources that people may pool together for business cloud services. The most common forms of cloud collaboration include pooling resources like data storage and processing. Online employees often resort to the cloud to get their job done, which lacks this functionality on local PCs.
Advantages Of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing can provide significant advantages to enterprises. However, despite the many benefits, there are a few downsides. Take the time to learn the numerous benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing and make the most of your company’s technology, regardless of which cloud platform you pick.
- Cloud computing is very cost-effective, which is one of the primary reasons businesses use cloud services
- Because the cloud service provider handles everything, there’s no need to spend money on things like infrastructure updates
- Hardware is costly and will ultimately become obsolete; however, cloud storage enables the provider to manage quickly and efficiently
- Because cloud storage does not rely on internal power, there are additional benefits from reduced energy use
- Because cloud storage is expandable, you only pay for the amount of storage you need as your company grows
- A cloud solution is also ideal for companies that need access to their data from anywhere
- Furthermore, cloud storage companies put a great value on the dependability of their services, emphasising that downtime is quite unusual
Disadvantages Of Business Cloud Services
While it is undeniable that cloud computing has transformed how we access data and will probably continue to do so in the years ahead, it is not without drawbacks. In reality, many of the cloud’s advantages might become disadvantages in the worst-case situation.
Cloud outages are common. Amazon Web Services, for example, has had many failures in recent years. Storms in Sydney in June 2016 and the subsequent power loss caused the breakdown of servers hosting critical workloads for numerous significant enterprises, resulting in around 10 hours of downtime. Another AWS outage in 2017 allegedly cost publicly listed corporations $150 million. Even if you’re guaranteed 99.9% uptime, that’s still many hours or even days of downtime yearly.
Similarly, although it’s nice that you can view your data from any place with an internet connection, it’s not beneficial if you don’t have one for whatever reason. Broadband disruptions are inconvenient for organisations that save their data locally. Still, they may be disastrous if you store your data in the cloud. Furthermore, if you work with enormous files, such as 4K films, you must ensure that you have a suitably fast connection.
Adopting a cloud computing solution entails a security risk, although a minor one. Suppose you store sensitive data in the cloud, and the service is compromised. In that case, cybercriminals may have access to this data. Some providers may even include information in the fine print about who owns the data submitted to their servers.
Data Protection And Cloud Computing
Data protection and privacy are often seen as significant threats when keeping personal data on the cloud. The following are the hazards to your data on the cloud:
- Loss or damage caused by your service provider and their employees
- Unapproved disclosure or access
- Malicious acts directed towards service providers, such as hacking or viruses
- Poor security methods jeopardise data security
Before selecting your business cloud services, you should conduct a risk assessment of these hazards and their potential impact on your business.
Cloud And Data Protection Laws
When you store or handle personal data on the cloud, including in a cloud server backup, you will likely be responsible for ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
A cloud customer is often regarded as a data controller under data protection rules if they define the reasons for and how the data is processed. Even if you don’t have complete control over the cloud, you are likely responsible for handling the data.
You have certain responsibilities as a data controller, including but not limited to ensuring the following:
- Any processing of personal data is safe, even if it is performed on your behalf by a cloud provider
- Data is not sent beyond the European Union unless the recipient country and the circumstances of the transfer offer an acceptable degree of protection
- You have a formal contract in place with your supplier, and they have agreed to protect the data and only handle it in line with your instructions (e.g., delete it on request)
We recommend that you also establish the following:
- What degree of responsibility will the supplier accept for service security, functioning, and continuity
- A compensation provision in the event of a security breach
Suppose a managed cloud computing company does not give you guarantees about the security or location of its service, such as a cloud server backup. In that case, it may signal that they need to place more emphasis on data protection and that the danger of violating data protection regulations is greater than required.
Levels Of Data Protection
All of the server needs for a cloud computing system are managed and often hosted by providers of business cloud services. Database management solutions for data-intensive applications, such as e-commerce or customer relationship management, may be included.
High levels of data protection are required for such applications. You should carefully review your contract and service level agreements to see what security measures your managed cloud computing supplier company uses to secure your data.
Move To Business Cloud Services
It’s time to abandon traditional data storage methods in favour of cloud storage options. A cloud specialist should be your IT team’s adviser since they have the experience, skills, and understanding to take advantage of every benefit available on the cloud market. A cloud specialist is the next person you should speak with if you want to remain ahead of the competition, decrease expenses, and have scalability.
At Optimising IT, we are determined to offer your business a different IT service and experience than a typical cloud service provider. Please book an appointment with the team at Optimising IT and never fear an IT discussion again.
