Migrating to the Cloud - Data concerns

Three out of four organizations use some form of cloud association. Not only that but, 69% of enterprise organizations are currently migrating their data to the cloud. However, many companies are also fearful of what migration means for their company, trade secrets, client information, and data.

Some of the top challenges of migrating to the cloud include but are not limited to moving of sensitive data (65%), security (59%), compliance challenges (54%).

A 2019 report found that enterprises were willing to spend as much as $3.5 million on cloud apps, platforms, and services. By the end of 2020, the numbers are predicted to double. 

Why is Cloud Migration beneficial?

• Reduces high fixed-cost investments.
• Offers the flexibility to scale up or down.
• Ensures better business continuity, disaster recovery, and redundancy.
• Eliminates hardware maintenance and software updates.
• Offers better security and monitoring.

Now, the concern most people have is with data security and privacy. Once your data is in the cloud, how can you protect it? Yes, platforms offering cloud service have great protective layers, but you can ensure safety too. 

Before we dive into problem-solving, let's talk about the potential problems in migrating to the cloud. 

Potential Cloud Migration problems you should keep in mind

• Compliance issues can arise if you're looking to transfer data, especially from a regulated background. You need to adhere to applicable regulations, laws, and instructions while transporting the data.
• Data breaches are a big concern for many businesses, and rightly so. However, picking a trusting cloud computing partner with a transparent plan and investing in tools can significantly reduce this risk and fear.
• Another concern is data loss. Suppose the data is lost due to unforeseen circumstances like accidental deletion, natural disaster, or malicious intent, where the client is left with no backup. Again, the cloud offers a lot more resilience and options to ensure redundancy and availability.
• The cloud's core value prop is data can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. In some cases, the APIs and interfaces the users interact with are left unsecured. Hackers can find these vulnerabilities and use them to hack the server. Therefore, encryption, audit, and firewall are of utmost necessity.

So, what does this mean for your business? Should you or should you not migrate to the cloud? Yes, despite the challenges, you can safely migrate to the cloud. That is why about 83% of enterprises worldwide are set to migrate to the cloud by the end of 2020. Cloud technology is not the future; it is the present. However, you must know the ropes and tricks, the risks and benefits of it all before you begin the transition.