How Secure Is Cloud Hosting?

As cloud computing becomes ever more popular, the discussion surrounding its security becomes increasingly important. Many people still believe that cloud hosting is inherently less secure than traditional on-site systems, and even people with years of IT experience still trust more conventional enterprise computing over cloud-based solutions. However, this bias seems to be a matter of personal preference and misconceptions regarding just how secure cloud hosting really is.

Opportunity

The reality is that any system that can be accessed, whether it's cloud based or not, is subject to attacks. Attacks tend to be opportunistic in nature, and so accessibility is key. The more visible and easily accessed a system, the more likely it'll suffer attacks. Both on-premise environments and service providers are subject to getting hit, with service providers receiving the lion's share of the attention. On the other hand, the number of the attacks tends to favor the on-premise environment, and they also receive more brute-force attacks on average. As you can see, anything that can be accessed by people with nefarious intentions is ultimately susceptible to being targeted.

Location

The physical location of your data matters much less than how the data is accessed. It's easy for people to feel that cloud-based systems are less secure simply because servers and systems that you don't directly control and own feel like they're more of a gamble. However, the research doesn't seem to back up that assumption. Whereas traditional systems tend to be heavily reliant on firewalls, cloud-based platforms actually spend more time working on security. Perhaps this is because cloud-hosting providers are well aware of the mistrust that is associated with their services, and their customers get to reap the benefits.

Focus

The added attention and dedication are ultimately quite helpful. Vulnerability testing is essential, and its importance simply cannot be stated enough. An untested system is an unsecured system, regardless of its physical location. When you need cloud hosting in Washington, DC, keep in mind that your governance and security requirements will dictate everything else. Your cloud-hosting provider can't do the job if they don't understand the parameters. Focus on communicating your needs, so that any security that's deployed is up to the task. Your data will depend on it.