Over the past decade, there has been a phenomenal shift of traditional security technology into cloud computing environments. Cloud-based servers like Microsoft Azure have transformed the way organizations are building IT infrastructure and protecting their data.
With cybercriminals advancing at a rate difficult for law enforcement to keep up with, cloud adoption is one of the best ways to protect your data in the modern threat landscape. Right now, about ninety percent of businesses are in some stage of cloud adoption.
Why Some Businesses Still Favor On-Prem
Although cloud computing has become a mainstream delivery choice for security services and infrastructure, many businesses remain hesitant to make the move. The primary reason is the misconception that on-premises systems have better security aptitude, and that cloud technology will harm your security posture. But that is simply not the case.
The reality is that many organizations lack the tools, expertise, or funding to maintain security infrastructure with the required level of compliance. This leaves networks and on-premises systems extremely vulnerable to attacks. Properly secured cloud solutions provide access to higher levels of protection that were previously not possible.
Here are three reasons to move your business-critical systems to the cloud to improve your security posture:
Streamline Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Cloud security limits the possibility of authentication and authorization threats by streamlining identity and access management (IAM).
Through its linked, global coverage, the cloud provides every member of your team with only one login credential. With a cloud-facilitated single sign-on process, each of your employees can access what they need. Plus, when they access certain data, it leaves a full audit trail. Meaning you can track all the access points your staff has used when a breach occurs through computer forensics.
Access to required programs, data sets, and other materials can also be easily limited to certain team members. Secure elevated privileges that allow for critical IT maintenance are enforced using role-based, limited scope credentials that expire after a set time period. And, if an employee leaves, access to your network can be shut down almost instantly.
Scale Up
With unlimited amounts of storage and computing power on demand, security intelligence is able to use high-performance computing and analytics to evolve the technologies protecting your data. Security tools, cloud-aware security apps, and secure monitoring and management mean it’s easier than ever to share this defense across your company.
Your company is expanding, with locations across the country or globe. Eliminate the headache of setting up individual IT systems with cloud computing. Multiple locations are easily set up for security when your networks are cloud-based. Simply plug the access points in, turn them on, and connect to the Internet. You can instantly have secure access to your data, your programs—and all the resources of your cybersecurity infrastructure. As your business scales, so does your security technology.
Improve Automation
The bigger your company becomes, the more automation you need. Cloud-based computing makes it easy to connect your satellite branches and set up effective automation of necessary services and tasks. As an additional advantage, your networks are more secure by design.
People are the number-one threat in cybersecurity. The more automation you have, the less you need a human to wade into the IT and network infrastructure and the less harm – on purpose or by mistake – can happen. By limiting human access to your security program, you limit human error, helping ensure the defenses of your network remain secure.
The capabilities of cloud networks, when it comes to cybersecurity, are enormous and growing every day. If you’re looking to improve your security posture, using the cloud is the answer. Plus, you also get all the basic benefits of cloud solutions: flexible capacity with lower capital cost outlay, improved availability and business continuity, interoperability, portability, network resilience, reversibility and elasticity of resource allocation on demand.
The Future
Today, many businesses are transitioning into multi-cloud environments. Multi-cloud environments are a model of cloud computing, organizations use a combination of public and private clouds to distribute applications and services. With the cloud environment constantly changing and becoming more complex it’s important start migrating your network to the most secure form of technology now.
