Cloud computing has become increasingly prevalent as an alternative to the usual method of allowing physical computers to process and complete the workloads with which you’re saddled.
Whether it’s for a leaner cost and effort, or whether you’re simply trying to make collaboration on your projects easier and more remote-worker-friendly, there are obvious benefits to using the cloud in your operations. Some of those benefits even extend to your security posture as well, and so it’s well worth considering if you want to make the most of your cybersecurity efforts.
Cloud Computing In A Nutshell
It may be easy to list off some of the benefits of cloud computing, but if you don’t know what it consists of, you’ll be at a loss to understand how those benefits apply to you. So, to get prepared, you have to ask: what is cloud computing?
In simplest terms, it’s the main computing function of a device, available on demand. However, this “device” isn’t the computer you have at home. Instead, the computer doing the work is a virtual machine, and it uses its own power and data, leaving your instruments and your resources fully available to you for other tasks.
That’s one of the many draws, too: you free up more than just your storage and your computing power, because you also free up your time spent doing work, as cloud computing means you’re able to get more done at once. This is because cloud computing can be done independent of direct active management by users like you. Due to the way these resources are available for processing upon demand, it’s all the more attractive a prospect to people who want their tools at the ready.
Insight
One of the things that’s most important to businesses in their production workflow is insight into what’s working and what isn’t. Cloud computing offers this on another level, as virtual machines are capable of being digitally monitored on every single front. What does this mean for security?
Well, insight can exist for more than just the workflow’s own metrics for performance purposes: you can also gain insight on whether there are breaches and other security risks from the comfort of wherever you are, rather than having to visit and inspect your own network to gain these types of insights in the form of specific trends, red flag user behaviors, and more.
Remediation
When a problem does arise, it’s imperative you’re able to bring back what you’ve lost and to recover from a disastrous attack. Cyber attacks do happen, of course, and if you’re so unlucky as to encounter one yourself, remediation might be one of the biggest concerns on your mind: How can you get back your data and make your business whole once more?
Cloud operations make this part easier, too, because while on-premise endpoints may have limited backup options, cloud computing is dependent on interlinking virtual components, so backup is much more versatile — as is recovery of these assets.
Prevention
One of the biggest boons of cloud computing is the way in which a business can prevent cyber attacks. The use of cloud network security tools makes it easy and simple to integrate a smart, sophisticated security option into your cloud operations. By implementing features like threat hunting as well as increased security for each specific container or virtual machine, you’re bettering the overall odds against any attempt at a breach.
In addition, cloud services typically have more security measures in place than an on-premise network. Given that various people and businesses depend on the cloud to keep their data and operations safe, it’s more important than ever that these tools implement strong protocols like zero-knowledge encryption to secure your assets, and to keep them from the prying eyes that might breach otherwise.
Currentness
There’s more to the software than just the security measures that are advertised, too. Cloud computing software is changing all the time; this is, of course, due to the fact that the risks to your business are also constantly changing and growing.
Whatever risks you think you might encounter, cloud services update regularly to stay ahead of the curve in both security and in operational value. Having out-of-date software is one way that many users of other solutions wind up becoming vulnerable to attacks, so utilizing cloud computing tools that update themselves is one fantastic way to avoid this hiccup altogether.
Pivoting
Just as important as general prevention protocols and the like, pivoting and allowing your business the room and flexibility to change when required is crucial. Building your operations based on certain trends (in cybersecurity or even just your industry) is possible, but when every industry and every circumstance changes so rapidly in the digital world today, there’s no better way to make sure you’re prepared than by having cloud-based computing. It’s easier to manipulate and configure, and it’s far lighter to troubleshoot.
Overall, between the ability to stay current automatically and to pivot manually when needed, your business is going to find so many evergreen benefits from utilizing cloud services to support and house your operations.
