Data storage and security is a growing concern for many small business owners looking for a way to store larger amounts of data in a secure location. Small businesses are more frequently becoming the target of hackers and suffering catastrophic system failures, forcing their owners to actively seek out solutions when it comes to having adequate data storage and security. While utilizing a cloud based infrastructure can provide an excellent solution to data storage problems and is also advantageous during a system failure, cloud storage also raises new concerns about data security.

In order to make sure you meet the challenges the cloud creates for data protection, assess your individual needs. There are numerous options including public cloud, private cloud, and combinations of these options. The key to protecting your data is matching the data to the appropriate cloud architecture while weighing your business’s budget and risk tolerance.

What are the advantages of using cloud based storage?

Cloud storage providers can supply your business with more data storage than ever before. This is the digital age. Thousands of businesses give up the paper trail every day and convert their records and files to digital versions. Even owners of small businesses are being compelled to seek out solutions for storing larger amounts of data, and a cloud subscription is an ideal way to increase data storage.

The cloud also offers an unparalleled amount of flexibility in choosing how you store data. You can easily manage storage tiers and use low-cost storage options for data that doesn’t need accessibility. The cloud is also an effective storage location for data that needs high availability. A cloud based infrastructure can provide immediate recovery, in the event of a system failure, when it is set up to do so.

Lastly, you won’t need to manage your hardware if you move to the cloud. This will free up more of your time and resources to devote to developing your core business. Servers are large pieces of electronic equipment sitting around waiting to break. By moving to hosted services, you have the opportunity to pay a fair price to have someone else set up, maintain, secure, and support an online service, eliminating the need to own your own hardware and manage your own server software.

What are the challenges of using cloud based storage?

The primary challenge of utilizing cloud storage revolves around the security aspect of protecting data against unauthorized access and tampering. Most small business owners opt to store their data in a cloud which is physically located at an off-site location where resources are shared by other tenants. Although cloud vendors are paid to oversee physical security and certain other aspects of security, businesses retain the responsibility for establishing access controls and protecting their data. Subscribing to a service with advanced data encryption should lessen this threat.

...businesses retain the responsibility for establishing access controls and protecting their data.

The second challenge is how to integrate backup and recovery management of data in the cloud with that of data in the data center. In the event of a hack or system failure, it is imperative to get your business back up and running as soon as possible. Data that is stored in the cloud will need to be accessible to get your system back up and running as quickly as possible. Establish and practice a disaster recovery plan that automates the process of backing up to and recovering from data in the cloud, increasing reliability while speeding up the process.