You’ve heard it before, “the cloud is the future of business operations” . Though you may have been intrigued by the prospect of accessing whatever data you need without the physical limitations of having an on-prem data center, you feel uncertain about the security of your data and the unknowns of burgeoning cyber-attacks. We get it, and we see this hesitation all the time. That’s why we’ve decided to compile a list of some of the most prominent misconceptions about migrating to the cloud, and then debunk them with facts, data, and use cases. For quick reference, here are the misconceptions we’ll be covering today.
If you have other concerns in mind regarding cloud migration, we’re all ears! Send us an email at info@ineteng.com and we can put your mind at ease. Until then, let’s get started.
1. Increased Security Risks
Some organizations are concerned that moving to the cloud will increase their security risks. In fact, during one of the first phases of mass cloud adoption, LogicMonitor reported that “66% of IT professionals say security is their most significant concern in adopting an enterprise cloud computing strategy.” [1] This is often due to a belief that data is more vulnerable in a shared environment. Some of that concern still lingers even now as upwards of 80% of companies have made the move.
The Truth
While a healthy dose of skepticism is always warranted where your data is concerned, cloud platforms are not exactly defenseless.
Some of the commonly seen cloud security measures include:
- Cloud Access Control
- End-to-end Data Encryption
- Regular Security Assessments
- Incident Response & Disaster Recovery Plans
- Compliance with industry standards such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS
Not to mention regular training to stay ahead of up-and-coming cyber threats. Most major cloud providers (think IBM, Amazon AWS, etc.) follow these best practices. If you have security concerns, ask your prospective cloud providers about their security practices.
While the cloud brings newer security threats, with all the defensive strategies in place for cloud providers, data is arguably more secure in the cloud.
2. Loss of Control
Some organizations are concerned that moving to the cloud will result in a loss of control over their IT infrastructure. When data and applications are migrated to the cloud, users are concerned that they will lose the ability to physically access servers, storage devices, or hardware.
We’ve also seen hesitance due to dependence on third-party providers. They feel that they will be outsourcing their IT services and will be dependent on them for availability, reliability, and security of their IT infrastructure.
The Truth
Cloud providers offer many options for customization and control, and organizations can still manage their applications and data in the cloud.
3. Cloud Migration is More Expensive than Staying On-prem
Some organizations are concerned that moving to the cloud will be more expensive than maintaining on-premises infrastructure.
The Truth
The cost of transitioning to the cloud versus staying on-premises depends on various factors, such as the size and complexity of the organization, the specific requirements of the business, and the resources available to manage the IT infrastructure.
While transitioning to the cloud can be more expensive in the short term —upfront costs associated with migrating to the cloud and ongoing costs for cloud services —. in the long run, it can result in cost savings due to the scalability and flexibility of cloud services.
These benefits allow organizations to pay only for the resources they use and avoid the costs of maintaining and upgrading their own infrastructure.
Additionally, the cloud can offer benefits such as increased agility, improved reliability, and enhanced security that can justify the cost of transition for some organizations. “Deloitte & Touche LLP’s 2019 Future of Cyber survey found that 90% of responding organizations spent 10% or less of their cyber budget on cloud migration, software-as-a-service (SaaS), analytics, and machine learning.” [2]
4. Compatibility Issues & Lack of Reliability in the Cloud:
Some organizations have an established ecosystem of applications and worry that if they transition to the cloud, they may run into compatibility issues with cloud platforms.
The Truth
While the concern is valid, most cloud providers offer a wide range of integration options, support various operating (OS) systems, databases, and programming languages.
In fact, several companies have transitioned to a fully cloud based approach and done away with the on-prem component completely. As the years have progressed, we’ve seen a rapid on-prem to cloud migration rate. As most companies have made the full transition to the cloud, the applications, software, etc. have done the same to accommodate demand.
Additionally, cloud providers typically offer high levels of uptime and reliability. According to Gartner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has an uptime of 99.9%, Microsoft Azure 99.95%. [3].
With the massive cloud adoption that has already taken place, companies are evolving. As the years progress, your applications will need to evolve to survive.
5. Performance Issues:
Some organizations are concerned that their applications may not perform as well in the cloud as they do on-premises.
The Truth
Most cloud providers offer robust infrastructure and high-performance computing options, and applications that can be optimized for the cloud to improve performance. The performance of say your Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) would tank should the physical lines get cut. However, if you were to adopt a cloud based Private Branch Exchange (PBX) like Webex Calling, your business would carry on separately from the phone lines.
We’ve found that cloud-based infrastructures are also better for business resilience and continuity, because businesses are not isolated to one on-prem location. You could simply head home in an outage and pick up where you left off from your internet.
The Future is in the Cloud, Are You Ready for It?
Overall, migrating to the cloud can offer many benefits for businesses, including improved security, cost savings, and increased scalability, flexibility, and reliability. Cloud migration is on the rise across businesses everywhere, and cloud services have become the norm to accommodate demand. It may be time for your business or organization to consider that transition. If you’re ready for a conversation, contact our Tech experts to map out a plan!
Sources:
[1] (https://softwarestrategiesblog.com/category/cloud-technologies/)
[2] https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/our-thinking/insights/topics/digital-transformation/integrated-cyber-security-cloud-migration-strategy.html
[3] https://www.chapter247.com/blog/aws-vs-azure-vs-google-cloud-a-detailed-comparison-of-the-cloud-services-giants/
[4] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-04-19-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-public-cloud-end-user-spending-to-reach-nearly-600-billion-in-2023#:~:text=Cloud%20Drives%20Digital%20Business%20Transformation,latest%20forecast%20from%20Gartner%2C%20Inc.