Page 51 - Cyber Warnings August 2017

THE DARK SIDE OF THE CLOUD

EXPLORING CONCEALED CLOUD RISKS

by Roxanne Abercrombie, Online Content Manager, Parker Software

Every business, from every sector, is being pushed towards the cloud. Flashy headlines are
constantly declaring the panoramic cloud takeover, and they’re backed by some compelling
statistics. But is the cloud hype clouding business decisions?

There’s a dark side to the cloud, and it’s not commonly talked about. It’s understandable why: IT
professionals risk sounding technophobic or outdated by expressing fears about cloud adoption.
The cloud is continually painted as the future of IT, and the only hosting model with longevity.
Betting against it seems imprudent.

Claims of the cloud’s universal rise, however, are specious. It’s worth considering that cloud
providers have a vested interest in expounding the popularity and necessity of their service.
Their goal – quite naturally – is to tout the cloud as critical to all. Unfortunately, this hype creates
misconception about how consequential the cloud really is.

For businesses who want to stay competitive, it’s all too easy to move to the cloud based on
conformity. The cloud is the new imperative, (apparently), and companies feel bound to adapt.
That’s not necessarily the smartest move.

Nobody would deny the utility and innovation of the cloud. But it’s by no means the best choice
for every business. For millions of organisations across multiple sectors, on-premises remains
the safest and most cost-effective hosting model. Indeed, the claims that on-premises is soon to
be extinct should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt.

IT security is a complex and highly nuanced landscape. To say that one model works for all
companies equally is to have your head in the clouds. Where priorities differ from industry to
industry, business to business and from department to department, a more multi-tiered outlook
is required.

Cloud is undoubtedly on the rise, but its growth doesn’t mean the demise of on-premises. Nor
does it mean that it’s the right choice for everyone. In this infographic, we explore the dark side
of the cloud, and reveal some of the statistics that aren’t so commonly talked about.

About The Author

Roxanne Abercrombie is Online Content Manager at Parker Software – a global
software house specialising in live chat and business process automation. She
used her two degrees to break into the technical content scene, and now
manages the breadth of the company’s customer-facing digital content. Roxanne
can be reached online at [email protected], via the
company Twitter using @parkersoftware, and through the company website at
http://www.parkersoftware.com.

51 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2017 Edition
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