Cloud

8 Biggest Cloud Computing Benefits

By Ashutosh Jha → Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Large corporations and small businesses are turning to cloud computing services to take care of their data security. A recent survey found that 96% of all the respondents used cloud services in 2018. The survey also mentioned that 92% of businesses used the public cloud while some used the more secure private cloud service.

Experts claimed that the trend would continue further in 2020 when all companies could have cloud-only or cloud-first policies.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is the technique where both hardware and software are delivered via the network. Usually, this happens on the internet and so, cloud computing is computing over the internet.

Earlier, if anyone has to use any software, they need to download and install on their physical system and use it. While in the case of cloud computing, you can access the same kind of applications using the internet.

As such, people interested in gaining an advantage should definitely get an aws cloud computing certification.

5 Best Cloud Computing Advantages

But why are cloud services popular among businesses worldwide?

Here are several advantages that cloud services can offer any company to explain the growing demand for this data storage system.-

1. Low risk
2. Cost-saving
3. Flexibility
4. Security
5. Less energy consumption
6. Mobility
7. Disaster Recovery
8. Automatic software updates

#1 Lowers the Risks of Operational Issues

While the cloud computing infrastructure looks complicated, it has lesser problems compared to other computing systems used by businesses. Cloud services typically run using the servers maintained by companies that aim to make the cloud error-free. These companies will immediately fix the problem as soon as it arises, which means that business owners do not have to worry about technical issues.

#2 Helps save Money- Cost Saving

Since business owners no longer need to keep a tech support team to fix their server issues from time to time, getting cloud services from credible companies can help them save a lot of money. Companies will also save more money with cloud computing because they do not need to buy expensive server upgrades when planning to scale their businesses. If the company fails to expand as much as expected, the costly server upgrade will be a waste of their resources. With cloud services, they can buy more space as needed.

#3 Encourages Teamwork- Flexibility

A previous survey from the Cloud Security Alliance found out that many companies get regular demand from users to buy more cloud applications that can allow them to share files and collaborate with the team. The result of the survey is not a surprise since cloud computing is designed for collaboration within a group of people working towards the same goal.

The members of the team can access all the data and files that they need anywhere and work on them together, even if they are not physically together.

#4 Provides More Security

Another report from the Cloud Security Alliance revealed that 64.9% of IT leaders believe that cloud services are more secure compared to their on-premise systems.

As per the report by the Cloud major Salesforce, 94% of businesses saw an improvement after they switched to the cloud.

Since companies have the option of asking their cloud servers to install extra protection for their sensitive data and files, they can get the assurance that the data and files will be safe from unauthorized access. Also, some cloud service providers can back up the data using additional remote servers. It means that they have added protection against unexpected data losses. You can check more about the importance of cloud computing security here.

#5 Lowers the Company’s Carbon Footprint

More companies aim to become environment-friendly nowadays. Using cloud servers can help them be more sustainable. Since cloud computing solutions need fewer physical servers, companies that avail of these services can downsize their data center. It means that they will start using lesser energy resources. According to a previous study from Microsoft, using cloud storage can save 79 to 93 % of the usual on-premise data center’s energy.

Also, companies no longer have to use a lot of paper for printouts since the staff can get soft copies of their files anywhere they are.

#6 Mobility

Another great cloud computing benefit is mobility. You can access your asset using a mobile device. As per the recent report by Ericsson, there are 6.1 Billion mobile users in 2020 and so cloud computing ensures no one is left.

Especially for the organization where consultants travel a lot, having the files and documents on the cloud will ensure everyone is getting the required information from anywhere. No matter whether you’re traveling, on holiday, or out of your system, files on the cloud can be accessed from anywhere. This definitely provides flexibility to the employees to work and access remotely.

#7 Disaster Recovery

No organization would want to get the downtime for their business. Although every organization tries to keep the downtime or failure as little as possible but still can’t be completely controlled. Controlling the complete failure is not in the hand of anyone.

But one thing you can control is the recovery. How soon you can recover depends on what kind of backup or recovery system you have. Another cloud computing benefit is disaster recovery. Almost all cloud service providers give you quick data recovery for all emergencies. This helps from preventing a big loss for any organization.

When a survey was done between cloud users and non-cloud users, 20% of cloud users claimed to have data recovery in less than 4 hours. While only 9% of the non-cloud users claimed the same.

#8 Automatic Software Updates

This is another cloud computing benefit where you don’t have to think of software updates. In the normal system, you have to wait for the updates to download and install. This sometimes becomes irritating. But with the cloud system, this doesn’t happen. Cloud-based applications don't wait for the admins to install the update. Instead, it automatically refreshes and installs the patches and updates.

As per the latest report by Rackspace, 50% of clients have agreed that they need fewer internal IT resources to manage cloud computing.

Wrapping it up!

These are just some of the most apparent advantages of using cloud services. It is why most experts believe that more businesses can adopt this technology in the coming years. With the help of cloud services, companies no longer have to worry about security and storage problems.

Online Security

5 Security Advantages of Cloud Computing Every Business Should Know

By Ashutosh Jha → Saturday, March 23, 2019

One of the advantages of cloud computing commonly touted among businesses is this: it generated revenue of over $411 billion by 2020!

But as great as revenue generation is, security is just as crucial. Luckily, the benefits of cloud computing extend to business security as well.

In the following article, we'll be talking about the security advantages that come with migrating to the cloud. Let's start flapping those wings, shall we?

1. Hardware Independence

Traditional computing leaves significant vulnerabilities. That's because you own, operate, and manage those physical servers. It requires hiring someone on-site (which is expensive!), and it still leaves you open to malicious attacks or natural disasters.

In other words, anything that happens to damage your equipment that's outside of your control could end you. And it could happen any day of the week, or when you least expect it. Getting on the cloud means shifting those responsibilities to a full-time managed platform.

2. Automatic Updates

Cloud computing security saves you money by not needing to hire a full-time employee alone. But it's also more effective security-wise.

That's because you're paying for engaged, competent IT Services whose full-time purpose is to maintain the integrity and stability of the cloud computing platform. And when security threats do arise, they're able to address them immediately with automatic patches, updates, and upgrades that take place while you're tending to your business.

3. Quality Control and Oversight

Another reason for the importance of cloud computing in business organizations is the QC and oversight advantages that it provides. Organizations are able to better track and monitor progress and the quality of work.

This turn toward more dependable analytics becomes the norm in every work environment in which it's utilized. As a result, employees become more plugged into what they're doing, thus raising their level of professionalism and attention to detail.

On a side note, they grow to appreciate the cloud. Their appreciation stems from the fact that it enables more freedom and flexibility in when and how they work. That only boosts motivation.

4. Malicious Actor or Disaster Safety Net

Core among the various cloud computing benefits is the fact it provides a virtual safety net to whatever might happen in the "real world." The safety and longevity of your business are no longer tied to a breakable object.

Likewise, cloud computing enables you to save virtually unlimited data and backup data. This means any threats from malicious actors that do arise can be repaired by reverting to saved, stored, and redundant data.

5. Building a Sustainable Business

Last but not least, cloud computing has a positive environmental impact with less strain on natural resources and lower costs. It also gives a business the ability to remain competitive moving forward.

The accessibility of cloud computing technology may even allow them to exploit unexplored market share. And that's even when they're playing in crowded spaces or going against large companies.

The Advantages of Cloud Computing Are Clear

Enjoying the advantages of cloud computing for revenue purposes is great. But just know that it goes well beyond that.

Security perhaps is more important to your business. That's because security breakdowns can end your business overnight, wherein you might be able to survive a few lean years earnings-wise.

So if you've been holding off, stop what you're doing and start the migration. And for more advantages of cloud computing, check out this previous post examining the technology's importance.

Cloud

Clues In The Cloud: Your Digital Evidence Guide

By Ashutosh Jha → Saturday, February 23, 2019

Cybercrimes result in billions of dollars lost every single year, yet most people find it's still a mystery how cyber criminals are caught. If you've ever been a victim of cybercrime or you're worried that there isn't enough evidence for a crime you've suffered, you'd be surprised at what's changed. With the help of mobile devices and digital evidence, there are more ways to solve crimes than ever.

[Digital Evidence Guide 2019]

Ultimate Digital Evidence Guide for 2019

Here is everything you need to know about how digital evidence works. Let's start and see some points in favour of digital evidence guide.

How It's Used

While digital evidence is collected differently than physical evidence, it's functionally the same. This is information that's intended to be leveraged in order to build an argument that establishes causality for any kind of crime or criminal incident. People and events can't be found together in the same way that they're found in physical situations, but there are just as many potential links found online.

Digital evidence helps law enforcement during every step of a potential case or to help resolve any kind of incident. If there was some violation of the law, digital evidence often shows whether or not it occurred. With the help of digital tools, information and data are analyzed quicker and easier than ever.

It's easier than ever to seize, preserve, and report evidence with the help of digital technology. Instead of having to reproduce or copy physical evidence, digital evidence is ready to be sent to all relevant parties in a matter of seconds. It ends up making the discovery process easier and more transparent as law enforcement and lawyers can move evidence around faster.

While it means more training than physical evidence requires, it pays off in lowered costs and more accurate reporting. Before a case begins, digital evidence speeds up the process of the criminal justice system.

How It's Received

Digital evidence is gathered from a wide variety of sources. One of the most powerful tools for getting digital evidence is the ever-proliferating mobile device. Because so many people are using mobile devices that have GPS data and time-stamped information, there's more of a trail than ever.

Bystanders the world over rely on mobile devices to report crimes and emergencies, which builds a network of evidence from the ground up. Social media is even a useful tool for finding out about crimes or getting tips from the community. There are text message tip lines popping up all over the country that give community members the chance to report and stop crimes.

Next generation 911 calling systems helps to seamlessly integrate digital data from the public or from user-generated content into the 911 system. Emergency responders can pick up thousands of photos and videos of a given incident to start putting together a story about what's going on during a situation. When this information is centralized and organized, even by something as rudimentary as hashtags, it's easier for law enforcement to work

Following incidents, police departments get access to thousands of emails, videos, and social media profiles. These digital artifacts end up as potential evidence when these next-generation systems start to organize information. Law enforcement gets information quickly and gets the chance to put it to use as soon as possible.

Preservation is Vital

Digital evidence needs require new forms of storage and preservation that most law enforcement departments are new to. It's only recently that law enforcement has employee full-time IT staff but it's never been more vital. Police and law enforcement need to have people on hand who know how to keep dangerous hackers out of their system.

They also need to know how to ensure that the agents and officers on staff are constantly using protocols and standards that help protect data.

Digital evidence is seriously subject to not only leaking but also to be propagated and duplicated. Because digital information can move so fast, it's important that none of this important data leaks out anywhere. IT staff works to ensure that evidence is properly preserved.

You need to have documentation appropriate to how digital information is gathered, stored and protected. Everything needs to have a chain of custody so it's clear who is responsible for protecting data and information. Only those who truly require access should be able to get into the data that you're collecting and preserving for a case.

Digital Forensics is Complicated

Forensics experts are those who go into a situation where a crime was committed and attempt to gather evidence leading back to a cause. Recovering and analyzing information that you get from an electronic device is much more complicated. When data is on cloud-based services, then that data could provide some details significant for investigation.

Leads and motives get drawn from this data, which plays a vital role in how modern crimefighting is performed. If you're dealing with digital devices, you need to have staff responsible for conducting investigations of devices. The forensic analysts who do this work are going to have training and experience dealing with all manners of electrical devices and data storage.

First responders also play an important role in this process. They should be working to ensure that devices and the data on them are properly recovered and then accurately preserved for use when a culprit is found.

For more information on how digital evidence is managed, take some time to research if you want to learn more.

Digital Evidence Is All Over the Place

Much like the way that we leave fingerprints everywhere we go, digital evidence is the result of the way that every digital move is tracked and timestamped. Digital evidence is powerful and found in every move we make with our devices and online presence.

If you're unsure of the value that digital equipment and maintenance provides, check out our guide for more.

Online Security

5 Importance of Cloud Computing Security

By Ashutosh Jha → Tuesday, February 5, 2019

With small businesses spending at least $75,000 a year on digital marketing, much of that work is done by analyzing collected data. The data that you store on the cloud has a massive amount of value; if you don't know the importance of cloud computing security, you could lose out. The effort that goes into gathering this data will be lost if you don't secure it from hacks and breaches.

Here are four reasons you need to focus on securing your cloud storage this year.

1. It's Not Just for the Big Companies

When you're seeking solutions for cybersecurity, you might not think that it applies to your business model. Most small businesses think they're not at risk of losing their data because of a hack or a phishing attack. This leaves them vulnerable to cybercriminals.

It's taking fewer resources than ever before to get into a company that doesn't have the proper protection behind it. Small businesses have fewer resources to protect themselves but can have just as much valuable information as large companies.

If you're running a small business, you shouldn't think that you can't afford to protect your data. You worked hard to get information from your customers and collect data to help your business grow. If you're not careful with what you've been trusted with, you could lose out to another competitor.

Thankfully, there are a lot of companies that provide outsourced IT and cybersecurity solutions to ensure that your business interests are protected. No matter how big or small your company is, one unsecured WiFi station or one misplaced password could put you at risk.

2. One Breach Could Take Out Your Company

With the cost of a data breach currently hovering around the $4 million mark, there are few companies that could weather the storm of even one hack. With the cost of just one security breach, your company could be sunk.

A security breach costs you money from a damaged reputation for new customers, customers fleeing a sinking ship, and customers who file lawsuits against you.

It could take you years to recover from just one data breach. Releasing sensitive data that your customers consider private could make you seem toxic for years to come.

Building trust and a strong reputation take years for just about any company. It could take you decades to bounce back after your company's reputation has been struck by a breach.

Trust is a vital element in building any company. It takes so long for a new company to be trustworthy and relied on by new customers that you can't focus on building trust while lacking on cybersecurity. If you do, you risk building a house of cards that could be taken out by one small leak of customer or client data that haunts you.

3. Climate Change Could Ruin You

Climate change is real and climate change is here. While many people in the tech industry think they're immune to it, they could be making things worse for themselves or their customers.

The storage of redundant data requires resources in electricity. Keeping data in a place that isn't secure requires redundant paper or physical storage.

If you want to store things on the cloud, you're making an effort that's going to protect you from climate problems. Storing things in the cloud isn't doing away with physical storage altogether. However, it diversifies your storage to ensure that it's not all in one place that could be wiped out by a climate disaster.

If all of your data is located on your site, even in the most physically secure conditions, you could be violating your customers' needs for security. If you're thinking about ways to mitigate potential security issues, you need to consider cloud computing.

Cloud computing is a more secure solution than keeping everything on site.

However, you need to ensure that your cloud storage provider is doing everything it can to keep that data secure. You shouldn't store your data just anywhere. You need it to be at a cloud computing service provider who knows the value of securing it and why you've chosen them over physical security.

4. Data Is a Precious Resource

Every year, companies are spending more of their money on collecting and organizing data. The more data they can get from their customers that has to do with their purchasing habits or personal information, the more they can make from it. However, most customers don't give their information out to companies without any strings attached.

People expect the information they give to companies to be protected and safe from hackers. Even if they're not savvy, it's not up to them to protect their data. It's up to the those who collect data to ensure that it's protected by the companies they give it to.

In the modern era, data is as much of a precious resource as material that we mine from the ground. That's because it offers companies and marketers the opportunity to make predictions. It has also birthed an entire industry.

Your cloud services hold more data about your company and your customers than you might even realize. If you're not protective of it, your customers could get the edge on sales this year by being able to predict what you're going to do next and how you'll do it.

Check out more about cloud security trends coming this year here: https://www.charlotteitsolutions.com/cloud-security-trends-2019/.

The Importance of Cloud Computing Security Is Paramount

If you're not convinced of the importance of cloud computing security, you risk leaving yourself vulnerable to a breach. One small breach could have a profound impact on your company. Data breaches are responsible for profit losses that can last for years.

If you're looking for secure ways to grow your business, follow our guide for tips.