How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Cloud-Based Products

At this point I think it’s safe to say everything is cloud-based. From cloud cars to Everything as a Service, the cloud has invaded more than just our email addresses. As a result, more and more organizations are moving all of their data into the cloud, including their more sensitive data.

According to a recent study from Ponemon Institute and Thales e-Security, a third of businesses admitted their data is completely unprotected in cloud-based systems. This development should be alarming to anyone paying attention to security news. Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSA’s massive surveillance program over a year ago, exposing the stark truth that the United States government is snooping on its citizens for controversial reasons. Snowden’s massive information dump to news organizations continues to leak out and scare the hell out of people every few weeks.

Recently the internet’s had the epidemic scare of Heartbleed, a massive bug in the basic encryption safeguarding bank and personal websites. The Heartbleed bug has been patched, but most of the old, compromised keys went right back into use, according to the latest security news.

So with keys compromised and the United States government potentially spying on everything we do, why would we store our private information on a cloud-based platform? The answer is quite simple, if you’re willing to do the work.

Basic Security: There are many arguments from crypto alarmists that since no one truly knows where their information is being stored, cloud-based platforms are completely unsafe. In truth, the cloud is no more or less safe than the average personal computer hooked up to the internet. Yes, cloud systems can be hacked. So can unprotected personal servers. In my opinion, SaaS based programs are no more dangerous or vulnerable than legacy software systems.

Encryption: In the wake of Edward Snowden, encryption has become a hot-button issue. From NSA-proof phones to SaaS encryption platforms like Vaultive, everyone wants to lock up their information. That’s a good thing. Even basic, free encryption offers vastly more security than an unprotected system. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around, though. While Google Apps are offering Zix encryption, that doesn’t mean every cloud-based email is protected. Do your homework.

Personal Vigilance: Perhaps the most important form of security. Whether cloud-based or not, most people use the same simple passwords and do not change them. Most people leave their personal devices laying around unlocked. Keeping an eye on your credit score and using tough passwords goes a long way, even in our cloudy, stormy present.

Have you migrated your information to a cloud base platform, or are you still too leery? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!