Here are five of the most important components of any secure cloud services deployment.

For many businesses, cloud services pose both a great opportunity and a major challenge. The benefits of this technology are, by this point, fairly well established: With the cloud, firms can become more flexible, responsive, efficient and productive while driving down operating costs. Employees are able to access corporate resources and perform work while at home or traveling, thereby making it much easier to improve collaborative efforts on team projects.

Considering all of these benefits, it is not surprising that adoption of cloud services has seen tremendous growth in recent years, as businesses in every industry and of all sizes are increasingly viewing the cloud as an essential resource for their organizations. However, as noted, obstacles remain. Most notably, many companies are still hesitant due to perceived problems with cloud security. Among firms that have either not adopted the cloud at all or have only done so to a minimal degree, concerns about protecting cloud-stored data are the most frequently cited impediments.

Yet as many industry experts have noted, cloud services have the potential to be as secure as, or even more secure than, legacy computing solutions, so long as best practices are followed.

Here are five of the most important components of any secure cloud services deployment.

• Consider priorities: This is one of the most important components of any secure cloud strategy. Businesses need to examine their organizations and determine exactly what their priorities are when it comes to the cloud. Obviously, every firm wants security, but there are varying degrees of importance. An organization that is responsible for storing and utilizing millions of customers’ financial information, for example, will need more robust, reliable cloud security solutions than a smaller firm that deals with less sensitive data. Additionally, firms need to consider how important security is to them relative to other features of cloud computing, including reliability of service, price, scalability and more. Every cloud offering is different, and the only way a business can find a solution which is sufficiently secure while also addressing other needs is by devising concrete priorities.
• Choose the right vendor: As mentioned above, every cloud offering is unique, and the same is true of every cloud vendor. Too often, businesses assume that there is little to no difference between these service providers, but this is simply not the case. In order to ensure that its cloud services meet its specific needs, a business must conduct research, vetting various cloud vendors to find one that can adequately meet the firm’s priorities.
• Craft policies: Once a cloud solution has been decided upon, firms need to devise robust policies that govern how this resource is utilized within the organization. For example, firms should mandate that all authorized workers create and use difficult-to-guess passwords when accessing the company’s cloud resources. Without clear-cut policies, workers will likely engage in unduly risky behaviors, putting the company as a whole in danger.
• Educate employees: However, instituting policies is not enough. It is also important to take the time to educate workers, who will likely have minimal experience or understanding of the cloud. Providing an easy-to-understand overview can help employees to not only deploy this resource securely, but also become more productive.
• Review policies: Businesses must not become complacent when it comes to cloud security. The field changes frequently, and new challenges and dangers must be addressed. It is therefore important for firms to regularly review their cloud security policies and, as necessary, update procedures to always ensure robust protection for cloud-stored information.

David Roberts has spent the past decade + primarily in the telecommunications industry within the SMB market. From an early start in corporate America at the John Harland Co. to the founding of Terra Nova, his expertise in building an organization from the ground up has proven to be the catalyst for the future. Currently, as the Founder of Terra Nova, Founder of Ascend Technologies, Founder of e2 Consulting, Board Member at 317 Ministries, and Founder of e2 Properties, David stays busy both in the local Atlanta market and abroad at events throughout the country specifically relating to the telecommunications industry.