Parting the Cloud: Understanding the Benefits of Cloud Storage for Businesses

Whether you’re sharing documents or saving data on Dropbox for Business, OneDrive, or Google Drive, cloud storage is becoming a large part of many businesses, both big and small. Though millions use these services every day, there’s still significant apprehension.One question stands out among all others: Is my data safe residing in the cloud?

Cloud Storage 101

What is cloud storage? The cloud is simply a way of storing and accessing data on the Internet instead of a computer’s hard drive or local network server. The information is stored physically at third-party locations and accessed via the Internet. This tends to raise concern because there are risks involved when trusting your data to another company. However, most issues stem from poorly-run providers and the lack of proper infrastructure and security. Most cloud storage providers keep files encrypted at all times. However, there is no standardization among cloud companies. This makes choosing the right cloud storage service for your business all the more crucial. You may want to enlist the help of an IT security firm in making this all-important choice.

The cloud is commonly used for backing up data, collaborating with others, and storing data.One of its main selling points is that you can access your files from anywhere. Log in with any device, and the data is available to use or share within the permissions set up by your administrator.

Dropbox for Business, OneDriveand Google Drive are three cloud services that allow data to be accessed from multiple devices and enable you to share files with specific people. Once uploaded, everyone can download, print, or use the files from any location or device. Google Drive allows multiple users to work on the same documents simultaneously, making workflow more efficient, especially in a small business environment.

Cloud Security

To benefit from cloud storage, users must ensure that their cloud infrastructure(the hardware and software components they are using) is well maintained and secured with sophisticated encryption.

Senior Systems Administrator Luke Bragg of Anderson Technologies says that when using cloud storage for businesses, “It’s important to use a business-class provider, which will ensure higher-level encryption than the consumer-based freebie. The cloud storage provider should also be HIPAA compliant, especially with any personal or medical information. HIPAA doesn’t just protect the data, but manages the flow of data, which is essential in case of a lawsuit.”

Cloud security doesn’t stop there. Each device should have its own security measures as well. Locally stored data has a unique set of risks, including hardware damage from unforeseen natural disasters, theft, and malicious in filtration despite the best network security. In the case of a lost device or theft, Bragg says that whatever device is connected to the business’s cloud storage “should be able to be remotely locked down or wiped.”

Cloud for Small Businesses

Small businesses can utilize the cloud in multiple ways with data backup and remote connectivity being the most common.Employees can sync files with one another from multiple locations, and they can work on data anywhere without having to carry a flash drive of potentially sensitive, private material. Cloud storage enables the data to be asynchronous, meaning every change or save will be uploaded automatically to the cloud-stored file provided the device is connected to the Internet. A flash drive could easily be lost and accessed by whoever finds it, but all data synced to the cloud will be available for users with the correct login credentials.

Proper infrastructure and network security are absolutely essential for any business using the cloud. We recommend looking at cloud based solutions for your business today.