The cloud is touted as one of the best ways to not only secure your business data, but to rid yourself of all that physical storage your company may be paying extra for. But is cloud storage really as secure as they say? This article will address some common misconceptions.

Myth 1: The Cloud Is Not A Smart Place To Store Data

Some companies are of the opinion that storing information in-house is safer than storing it in the cloud, while others think the opposite. The truth is that there can be risks to the integrity and security of your data with both options when a knowledgeable hacker attempts to breach security. However, this is not to say that the cloud is by any means less secure than on-site measures, because it is not.

Myth 2: Cloud Providers Are Responsible For Data Security

Although it is true that cloud companies are responsible for regular security and firmware updates, there are still data security rules that need to be followed by your company. Currently, companies in the UK must follow the rules outlined in the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This is causing some issues for business, because the regulations state that any transfer of EU business data to storage outside of the EU must have the same or better strength of security as EU member countries. This requirement means that the responsibility is on businesses to remain vigilant about the cloud companies they are dealing with.

Myth 3: Cloud Providers All Offer The Same Levels Of Security

Although a number of security standards have emerged with the increased popularity of cloud computing, there has not been any agreement as yet on which standards should be given top priority. Should the security of your company’s data be breached or a crisis occur, your cloud provider should be able to handle it. However, their ability to do so or not is something that needs to be determined through due diligence when choosing a provider.

Myth 4: Small Businesses Are Safe From Data Breaches

We are often informed of major security breaches in the news, but while it may seem that only large companies are targeted by hackers, small businesses are just as much at risk. In fact, this is increasingly true because small businesses often use weaker security features and are thus more vulnerable to hackers.

SMEs need to know that hackers will attempt to overcome any security measure, regardless of the size of the company. As such, regular updates and upgrades to security software should always be sought after.

Myth 5: Cloud Access Through Personal Devices Will Risk Data Security

The ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) revolution has caused many a company to think that their data is under threat. In fact, many have attempted to ban the practice altogether. However, this is not necessary; the risks of accessing the cloud via a personal device are completely manageable.

It may be that secure destruction of these kinds of device may be necessary in the event that a breach occurs. Where this is the case, companies like Absolute IT know how to destroy these assets securely.

Professional And Secure Shredding Services

Our team of professionals at Absolute IT offer secure shredding services designed to keep company information secure and confidential. The only way to permanently destroy the information contained on a hard drive or mobile device is to decommission it.

The cutting-edge data destruction technology we use includes shredding units capable of shredding to 6mm particulate, ensuring that no further use of the item is possible. The items which can be shredded include DLT tapes, ID cards, credit cards, mobile phones, CDs, USB pens and hard drives.

Although the cloud is more secure than one may suspect, a plan for the destruction of data carrying devices in the event of a breach should always be ready to implement.