Still Concerned About the Cloud Hosting? Check Out the Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing

Cloud hosting is becoming more prevalent as businesses recognize the potential cost savings of keeping information in a virtual space, which is both easy to maintain and upgrade. However, there are drawbacks to cloud hosting, such as issues with security flaws and technical glitches that can leave businesses—especially smaller, less tech-savvy businesses—scrambling to repair damage.

Information Week says recent research indicates that the end-user marketplace for cloud infrastructure as a service could meet or exceed $180 billion by 2015. With such a fast-growing technology trend, companies must weigh the pros of the efficiency of cloud infrastructure with the cons of its potential vulnerability to hackers.

The Pros

  • Access to nearly limitless storage space is important to many companies these days.
  • Plenty of cloud infrastructure providers offer it, but their packages and strength of their technology varies. Top 10 Cloud Storage helps companies identify the best cloud infrastructure providers based on services and costs.
  • Cloud storage is cost effective. It’s a far cheaper alternative than stashing data in traditional desktop software. The licensing fees per desktop are too costly for most businesses with multiple or dozens of users. The cloud can reduce your information technology overhead.
  • Most companies provide services on a pay-as-you-go basis. They’ll often offer backup and security services as part of packages.
  • Forbes magazine says that the benefits of cloud computing provide entrepreneurs with a “way to try out new ideas without extreme investments in supporting systems.”
  • As more businesses shift to the cloud, Forbes says, they will realize additional benefits like efficiency with mergers or acquisitions and more effective communication with shipping companies.
  • The greatest advantage to cloud computing is that your business will participate in the strongest IT technology today.

The Cons

  • Cloud-based information will be susceptible to cyber-attacks if it’s not properly secured.
  • According to InfoWorld, cloud computing data breaches are the top threat, and since cloud infrastructure services many clients, a “single flaw in one client’s application could allow an attacker to get at not just that client’s data, but every other clients’ data as well.”
  • The integrity of your section of the cloud is essential to your company’s health. Make sure to ask critical questions of your cloud provider to make sure the best security measures are being taken to protect your data.
  • Nothing on the Internet is completely secure. Hackers find ways to exploit various firewalls and encryption tools.
  • In 2012, CNN’s John D. Sutter reported that backing up information stored in the cloud was still important to protect data from being permanently lost. Critics of cloud computing might argue that if you have to back up the cloud, the cloud isn’t worth investing in. Of course, that’s dismissive.

There are great advantages to using the cloud, but it’s important to avoid linking accounts together through the cloud or using single passwords for cloud activation. The cloud isn’t going away. Businesses are smart to use it, though it should be managed with great discretion to avoid security breaches.

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