Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Disaster Recovery and the Cloud: Challenges & Benefits

Cloud computing is an excellent way for IT departments to relieve the strain on overworked staff and reduce the bottom line. Cloud disaster recovery solutions function in the “software as a service” and “managed services” realms of the cloud landscape and moving backup services to the cloud can be beneficial, saving time, effort and money. However, many companies are reluctant to try cloud disaster recovery solutions, citing security concerns and discomfort with new technology.

Here are some of the key issues some have with cloud D.R. and how these concerns can be mitigated.

1. It is immature technology


Why would any company trust someone with their data when this type of service hasn’t been around for long? Who’s to say the cloud D.R. service provider won’t be out of business next week? Properly vetting a prospective provider is vital. Any company worth your time should be able to provide a detailed plan. Obtaining a disaster recovery business case from Allstream or whoever your chosen provider will be is the perfect way to get started and allay those fears.


2. Can my data be stolen in transit?


The best time to steal data is when it’s on the move. Lines can be “sniffed” and information can be intercepted en route by criminals. It is important for the provider to mitigate this issue by offering secure transfer methods. Encrypting data at the source before upload and offering secure transfer methods like sFTP or IPsec VPN will protect data in transit.

3. Can thieves steal my data electronically once it’s stored?


Companies should verify that their providers encrypt data once it has arrived at their facility. Another good rule is that since the server space is being shared with other companies, your data should be logically partitioned from other organisations’ data. Separation and encryption can protect this “data at rest.”

4. Can my data be stolen physically?


No amount of encryption and partitioning will help if a thief can walk in and take a hard drive. When evaluating a cloud D.R. provider, it’s crucial to verify the security of their data centre. It’s important to select a provider that can verify employee background checks, video surveillance and compliance with security auditing policies.

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4 comments :

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juliangreenfield said...

Disaster recovery options for cloud computing are radically growing with an eye for perfection.

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