Cloud can be better than local for document access and retention

Posted by admin on May 31, 2012 in Blog, Uncategorized | 1 comment

The question came up many times when I have spoken with clients and prospects: Is my data safe in the Cloud?

I normally respond with another question: What do you do today to secure your data?

Most clients tell me their data is stored on their server behind a firewall, and on PCs and laptops belonging to their staff, with some local storage and some access to server data. Some also have business applications such as document or case management systems of which data may be stored locally on their application server or in more recent years they have a solution based on a software as a service model (where the data is in the cloud). In the majority of situations I discover only very basic precautions have been taken to secure and protect their sensitive client data and in many cases compliance and data protection breaches are the norm.

So the answer to the original question “Is my data safe in the cloud?” is Yes . It is far more secure than what they are currently doing and more likely to be compliant. Of course it’s important that you select a cloud provider in a structured and effective manner and satisfy yourself they meet the most stringent security requirements. In addition you have a contract in place that ensures they are compliant and you can rest easy. Brokerprove uses cloud technology and a global branded provider that not only gives the data security but also adds securing the provenance and integrity of that data in the cloud.

So why is the cloud likely to be more secure?

• Big Brand cloud providers (Microsoft, Amazon, HP, IBM as examples) have investment in the latest technology including security technology.
• Your provider has a core competence in Information technology and access to the tools and expertise gained over decades which was used to design the service.
• Your data can normally be encrypted for storage in the cloud and requires an encryption key to access from the cloud (Think of all those laptops in your organisation which do not have encrypted hard drives, this is a severe risk especially with mobile business processes – Now consider that with an internet connection you can have your data and documents accessible anywhere, anytime without taking the risk of storing on a portable devise such as a tablet or laptop which can be lost or stolen)
• Cloud providers have inbuilt disaster recovery and back-up and restore systems so you will never lose your sensitive and secured data. (How often is every server and PC in your business backed up, the answer is usually either never or infrequently)
• Finally with Brokerprove Cloudprotect you have the added security that every piece of digital content has its provenance secured and can have its integrity and authenticity verified on or off line.

So for all the noise in the media about some of the risks in using the cloud, for 90% of users a move to the cloud brings significant improvement over what they are doing today.