In parts 1 and 2 of our cloud computing series we looked at whether cloud computing is right for your business and how to implement a cloud based solution. In our final part we’ll give you some expert tips on evaluating the security of your cloud computing solution and adapting it to suit business growth.

As we know, cloud computing is a flexible solution which can help small businesses in particular reduce operational costs, improve work productivity and deal with scalability. However, there are a number of potential security issues that could occur as your company undergoes change:

• Loss of governance as control moves to the cloud provider, making it unclear about who’s responsible for resolving certain issues. This may leave parts of the defences left unguarded.

• As cloud resources can be accessed from anywhere, there may be authentication and authorisation issues, especially if employees, partners and customers need access. Your business could also incur malicious behaviour from people within the company, who have access to your data.

• Your cloud provider may not have the necessary compliance and certifications in place which could cause legal complications.

• Although the detection and management of security breaches may be delegated to your cloud provider, any incidents could directly impact your business and create downtime.

• A big concern for many businesses using the cloud is the potential exposure of sensitive data or the loss or unavailability of data. If your contract is terminated with your cloud provider there could be an issue with data deletion.

• As well as service unavailability due to network, hardware of software failures, a business failure of your provider could leave your data or infrastructure unavailable.

Is your cloud solution secure?

In order to lower these security risks and make sure you can effectively handle any security issues that do occur, you’ll need to continually measure your cloud solution’s performance and reliability in line with your business’ needs. Here are 10 steps to consider when evaluating your IT security:

1. Manage the security terms given in your cloud service agreement
2. Make sure that the appropriate governance, risk and compliance processes are in place
3. Check that your cloud networks and connections are secured
4. Make it clear who’s accessing the cloud and manage people and roles
5. Enforce privacy policies
6. Confirm that the proper protection of data and information is being maintained
7. Look at the security provisions for any cloud applications
8. Assess the security controls on your physical infrastructure and facilities
9. Audit your ongoing operational and business processes
10. It’s vital that you understand the security requirements of the exit process with your cloud provider

If you’d like any help evaluating the security of your cloud solution, or you’d like any advice on the effectiveness of your IT support, you can call our team on 01252 235 235, or get in touch onsales@ntsols.com and we’ll be happy to assist.