The future of computing: Why cloud computing is here to stay

As cloud computing continues to become an integral part of modern business, prioritizing cloud security is crucial to safeguard sensitive data and maintain the trust of customers and stakeholders

As cloud computing continues to become an essential aspect of modern business, the risk of cyber threats and data breaches also increases. According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025. The most pressing problems with cloud security include data breaches, misconfiguration of cloud resources, lack of visibility, and compliance challenges. 

Data breaches are one of the most significant concerns with cloud security. According to a report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach alone is $4.35 million in 2022. Without the right mechanism in place sensitive data can be stolen or compromised. This can occur due to various factors, such as weak passwords, unpatched vulnerabilities, and insider threats. 

Another common issue is misconfiguration of cloud resources which can lead to data exposure, unauthorized access, and other security risks. This can happen due to human error or inadequate knowledge of the cloud environment. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in cloud usage, and as a result, cyber attacks targeting cloud environments also increased. According to a report by Trend Micro, there was a 240% increase in attacks targeting cloud servers between January and April 2020 alone. 

Lack of visibility is yet another challenge that businesses need to deal with when it comes to cloud environments. Cloud environments can be complex, with multiple services, providers, and access points. As a result, it can be challenging to maintain visibility and control over all the resources, leading to potential security gaps.  

Compliance challenges are also another area of concern for businesses. Compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS can be challenging in the cloud environment, especially when data is stored across multiple regions and providers. 

To mitigate these risks, organizations can adopt a multi-layered security approach by implementing security measures such as firewalls, access controls, intrusion prevention /detection system, and data/key encryption. Additionally, implementing strong authentication and access controls through the use of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access controls can prevent unauthorized access to cloud resources.  

Regular testing and monitoring of the cloud environment with Posture Management tools and services, periodical rotation of keys, utilizing organization policies can help identify and remediate security risks, while providing security awareness training to employees can help them understand the risks associated with cloud security and how to prevent them. Leveraging cloud-native security tools such as Google Cloud Security Command Center can also help organizations gain visibility and control over their cloud environments. 

As cloud computing continues to become an integral part of modern business, prioritizing cloud security is crucial to safeguard sensitive data and maintain the trust of customers and stakeholders. 

Advantages and disadvantages of hybrid cloud
In recent years, hybrid cloud has emerged as a popular solution for businesses seeking a flexible and scalable IT infrastructure. Hybrid cloud refers to a computing environment that combines private and public cloud services, enabling businesses to store data and run applications across multiple environments.  

Hybrid cloud offers several benefits to businesses, including flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security. With hybrid cloud, organizations can choose the optimal deployment model for their applications and workloads, selecting between public clouds, private clouds, or on-premise infrastructure. This enables them to scale their computing resources up or down quickly, making it easier to handle sudden spikes in demand or rapidly growing workloads. Additionally, businesses can optimize their computing costs by selecting the most cost-effective deployment model for each application or workload. Hybrid cloud also enables businesses to leverage the security benefits of both private and public clouds, with sensitive data kept on private clouds while still enjoying the benefits of public clouds, such as cost-effectiveness and scalability. 

Despite its advantages, hybrid cloud also comes with some disadvantages. One of the major challenges is operational complexity, which can make it difficult for businesses to manage and maintain the hybrid cloud infrastructure. This requires a skilled and experienced IT team who can effectively manage the hybrid cloud environment. 

Suhan Shetty, Enterprise Architect – Infrastructure Services, Niveus Solutions

Integration and interoperability challenges can also arise when hardware dependent technologies are used across public and private cloud services. This can be a significant challenge for some organizations, especially those lacking the necessary technical expertise. Ensuring that applications and data can work seamlessly across different cloud environments can be challenging and requires careful planning and management. 

Another potential disadvantage of hybrid cloud is cost as managing a hybrid cloud can be more expensive to set up and manage than a single public or private cloud environment. Major costs include infrastructure cost, network cost, security service cost, human resource cost etc. 

Finally, hybrid cloud environments can introduce new security risks that businesses need to address. As businesses move sensitive data between different cloud environments, they need to ensure that they have the right security controls in place to mitigate these risks and also adhere to compliance needs. Designing an all encompassing, holistic yet environment contextual governance, compliance, FinOps and security policy requires skill sets scarcely found. Overall, while hybrid cloud offers many benefits, businesses must carefully consider these potential drawbacks and implement the right tools and strategies to manage them effectively. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

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