I’m sure most of the readers would’ve come across the term “Cloud Computing.” If not, don’t worry, I’ll be covering from the start! Let’s begin with the meaning…
The purpose of each newly added technology is to solve a problem. Let’s consider an office environment with multiple physical locations. The employees here work with ample data (clients, products, services) and face the following issues:
Consequently, their projects take too much delivery time as a lack of coordination decreases the speed and efficiency. Now, the company adds cloud computing to its infrastructure.
“Cloud Computing is nothing but an online service to store and process data with its variety of tools and applications.”
Here, the company’s data is stored on remote servers instead in one physical location. So, all the employees can access the data with no difficulty. Hence, both the above-listed problems are solved using cloud computing.
So, the image above nowhere resembles a cloud! This is the picture of remote servers where your company’s data is saved, and you can access it using the Internet. Now, you must wonder how to store data on these servers. There are cloud service providers, and a well-curated list has been added for you later in this blog post.
Pro Tip: Learn how data can build or destroy your business!
Don’t get confused between types and services. There are basically 3types of cloud computing: public, private and hybrid.
Public, as the name suggests, is open for all server spaces where you pay for a subscription to store your data. Here, the storage space is administered by the owner (provider). It’s similar to taking an apartment for rent. IBM SmartCloud Enterprise is one such example of a public cloud.
Private cloud means buying a storage space for your organization which can be near your physical location or far away in some ocean. You are the sole owner of your private cloud, so you need to manage everything right from setup to operations.
Hybrid is the combination of public and private clouds. Here, you have a storage server on your physical location linked with a public cloud. You can share data and operations in this hybrid environment as per the organization’s needs. Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft offer hybrid cloud.
To know the security risks in each of the above, continue reading!
So, types of cloud computing are nothing but options of accessibility. Talking about services, it denotes what to do after accessing the cloud. Again there are 3 types-SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. Don’t worry, decoding the abbreviation and meaning right away.
Software as a Service (Saas) -Suppose you don’t want to buy licensed software pertaining to its high cost or you need the data to be shared among your clients/employees at different physical locations. Here, you go with the subscription-based payment model of that software. So, you save the high cost of buying and also the data is stored on software company’s server which can be accessed from any part of the world. Microsoft Office 365 is one such example.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) -This service is for the ones running a web development company. Here, various development environments are available for rent to create applications easily, quickly and with no fuss of maintaining or upgrading the system. Oracle Database Cloud service is one such example.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) — To go with the name, infrastructure means hardware. The above-listed services are about virtual entities, but here you rent an actual server or other equipment required for your company. It surely gives full control but with the added task of management. Elastic Cloud Compute from Amazon falls under this category.
To improve readability, I’ve formed an image to list the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing.
As stated above in “Types of Cloud Computing”, here are the security risks involved with each strategy:
- Public -You may face issues like data loss in which it can either get deleted or corrupted, making it unsuitable for further use. Also, as you are sharing the cloud space with third parties, there are chances of unauthorized access to your data.
- Private -If your in-house IT staff is not thoroughly trained to handle cloud operations, then there are high chances of misconfiguration and compromised security.
- Hybrid- You might face vendor lock-in while changing your service provider because of the difference in their protocols.
- Common -All the above types depend on Internet connectivity, and thus all are vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks.
Now, you might be in a dilemma about whether to opt for cloud computing. Well, you don’t need to be so pessimistic! Just take preventive measures as per your chosen cloud, and a timely security audit will help you overcome the risks.
You will be surprised to read the names! You might have used a couple of them:
And there are many, but jotting down a few to give you an idea!
I hope now you are quite familiar with the concept of “Cloud Computing.” Your next step is to look out for a vendor to begin. Here’s a list to help you a bit:
Just to be on the safer side, it is better to confirm the following questions before proceeding:
- The location where your data will be stored
- The frequency of data backups
- Any provision for third-party integration
- The flexibility level that your business can achieve after opting for the service
- Any agreements to be signed before the deal (basically “Terms & Conditions”!)
That’s all, Folks! You’re good to go! Good luck!
