Migrating to the Cloud: Mitigate the Risks to Reap the Rewards

Date Posted:Tue, 17th Aug 2021

Migrating to the Cloud: Mitigate the Risks to Reap the Rewards

Everybody's talking about Cloud Migration.The question is, is your business resilient to the risks associated with migrating to the cloud?

 

Buzzwords often trigger an audible groan. These items of voguish jargon have developed a reputation in the business world for lacking substance and being overused in the pursuit of sounding knowledgeable. There is one, however, that might appear fluffy at first glance, but is actually a cornerstone of the digital revolution: the “cloud” – essentially a metaphor for the internet that refers to servers that are accessed online and the software and databases that run on them. 

How the pandemic accelerated cloud adoption

While the adoption of cloud computing – storing and accessing data and programmes over the internet rather than via your computer's hard drive – has grown exponentially over the last decade, it has taken the damaging blow from a global pandemic for many businesses to realise its worth.

The rapid spread of Covid-19 precipitated draconian restrictions from governments, designed to control the virus – including working from home. Already a rapidly growing trend before the pandemic struck, when remote working became a forced necessity overnight in March 2020 it suddenly presented businesses with time, cost, and technical challenges. To overcome these hurdles, decision-makers across almost every industry accelerated cloud adoption as a vital business continuity strategy – a trend that will gather momentum as restrictions are lifted and hybrid working becomes the “new norm”.

Yes, the benefits of migrating to the cloud are compelling: reduced costs, increased productivity, seamless scalability, rapid deployment, automation, workforce mobility, data security, disaster recovery. However, as with any digital transformation, there are inherent risks that must be mitigated in advance to make it succeed. Unfortunately, many businesses have their head stuck in the clouds when it comes to understanding one of the most significant elements of the digital age – leaving them exposed to these potentially damaging risks.

Cloud computing: the risks
Here are some key considerations that will help your business to establish a robust cloud migration risk management strategy: 

· You are only as strong as your weakest link: the chink in the cloud armor is typically found in the end users’ device. Cybercriminals are a savvy bunch: rather than attempting to decrypt the complex algorithms that conceal cloud-protected information, they attempt to compromise these credentials by targeting the device by deploying viruses, such as a Trojan.

· Social-engineering: phishing attacks are another common method used by cybercriminals to compromise cloud credentials: an attempt to fraudulently obtain personal information, such as passwords, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication – typically an email. 

· Legal compliance: your third-party provider will automatically take responsibility for the security of your data. This restricts your control over how it is legally protected. So, take the time to find out if they are compliant with the relevant laws. 

· Third-party security: your business’s cybersecurity controls might be robust, but what about your third-party provider? Any failure on their part to safeguard your cloud computing environment will expose your applications and data to security risks – most notably cyber-attacks. Therefore, you must implement thorough vetting processes that ascertain if they have the necessary security measures in place. 

· Business continuity: business continuity planning should be underpinned by data protection. So, ask yourself: does your cloud service backup data at a secure location, protecting it from sudden incidents that cause downtime, such as power cuts? Without proactive staff training that promotes relevant strategies and enhances staff competency, the business continuity plan will be rudderless.  

· Lower bandwidth: it’s not uncommon for cloud service providers to limit their user’s bandwidth usage, which can restrict performance and result in additional charges.

· Limited features: not all cloud services are the same – some providers offer reduced packages, meaning you may not receive the complete functionality you require.

NobleProg: your pathway to smooth cloud migration
Faced with this reality check, you must ensure your business is resilient to the risks associated with migrating to the cloud. Get this right and you will be well-placed to harness the power of cloud computing to both soften the operational impact of lockdown restrictions and drive your business forward in a post-pandemic world. Effective training can pave the way for a smooth – and secure – journey into the cloud. NobleProg instructor-led cloud computing training courses – whether online or onsite – demonstrate the fundamentals of cloud computing and how to benefit from this digital transformation.