Shocking Facts to Make You Think Twice about the Cloud
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Shocking Facts to Make You Think Twice about the Cloud
By Sally Writes for ConspiracyTruths.co.uk
Cloud technology is the most rapidly evolving sector within the IT industry and has been described at the biggest game changer the tech world has seen since the dawn of the millennium. Adoption rates are huge, with both individuals and corporations rushing to save their data to the cloud, and take advantage of the increased flexibility and security that it brings.
Hold that thought a moment.
Flexibility - for sure, you can access your files from anywhere, and can manage easily with a cheap and portable Chromebook or the like. Security - are you sure about that? Here are some real world anecdotes that might just make you think twice about entrusting your personal or business files to any old cloud provider without checking out their security processes first.
Data security needs physical security too
It is easy to assume that cloud security is all about firewalls and keeping out the hackers, those annoying spotty teenagers who are always infiltrating the US government, but remember, the cloud is not really an ephemeral storage facility up in the ether.
All that data is stored somewhere, and that somewhere is typically a data centre that is trying to run a profitable business with minimal overheads.
One such centre, that shall remain nameless but is among the biggest in the world, suffered a breach, and the CCTV and security protocols were reviewed. Here’s what they revealed: Two men breached the perimeter walls and breezed straight in. Minutes later, the security guard strolled past the point of entry and did not even notice there had been a break in.
He was either half asleep, in on the job or simply didn’t care. When you get the added information that he was there on his own, working 12 hour night shifts, for the princely salary of £16,000 per year, you begin to see why any of those options sound highly plausible.
Lock and key
Many data centers run managed servers, cloud services and co-location suites from a single site. Typically, the sectors are separated by locked doors to keep everything secure. Yet in many cases, the padlock keeping everything safe has a default code that is the same for every unit unless somebody takes the trouble to change it.
Understanding what is at stake
The cloud is an amazing innovation and brings wonderful benefits. But until those managing the data centers fully understand the importance of cloud security, you need to be very careful about who is looking after your data and how.
After all, if your local bank allowed anyone to wander in and out of the vaults with very few checks or balances, I think we would all have something to say.