Since it’s the end of October – Cybersecurity Awareness Month – we’re going to zero in on one essential topic: cloud security! Specifically, we’ll explore why cloud servers deliver stronger security than on-premise options.

Let’s get started!

Expertise and Focused Security

When we started as a smaller MSP, security wasn’t as prominent as it is today. Nowadays, with the number of people, devices, and updates to keep track of, it’s practically essential to stay on top of it all!

Security is its own ecosystem—if it’s not your daily focus, things are bound to slip through the cracks.

That’s one of the biggest benefits of cloud: it ensures security is maintained by overseeing every aspect of your cybersecurity, catching missed details and preventing oversights from occurring! With on-premise servers, you don’t get the same peace of mind…

Redundancy and Reliability

Another reason cloud provides better security is redundancy! With on-premises setups, any incident affecting a location can mean a loss of data, hardware, and a range of other resources.

In the cloud, that’s not an issue at all.

Cloud servers allow for multiple data storage locations. Our cloud platform uses clusters, so instead of a single server like you’d find on-premise, there’s a cluster of 12 computers working together as a group. If one server experiences a problem, the workload shifts seamlessly to the others, keeping everything running smoothly!

Other than our team being alerted to address any issues in the data center, clients and end-users notice no difference.

Enterprise-Grade Security

Cloud servers offer what we call enterprise-grade security. This involves a range of high-end systems that are typically more expensive and challenging to install and support. Managing these systems requires significant resources and specialized training.

Most MSPs don’t have the budget or the expertise to invest in and maintain these advanced systems on-premise, but cloud providers can spread these costs across their customer base, making it feasible to use higher-end security at a reasonable cost to the end user!

Built-In Advanced Encryption

With a cloud server, encryption is generally more advanced than what’s available on an on-premises server. It all ties back to that enterprise-grade level.

You can certainly implement encryption on an on-premise setup and cover the basics, but:

• Is everything configured correctly?
• Is it being regularly checked?
• Is it all running as it should?

In the cloud, robust encryption is already part of the setup. From clusters to backups, everything is automatically encrypted as part of a secure, pre-configured environment. It’s a different level of security, built right in from the start!

How Cloud Data Centers Ensure Superior Physical Security

Another advantage cloud servers have over on-premises servers is the physical security at data centers. As an MSP, we saw instances where clients faced break-ins, and instead of attempting to access data, intruders would simply take the entire server!

Data centers, however, have multiple layers of security.

First, getting in the door isn’t as simple as walking into a public building: even entering the main area requires identity verification. To access the server rooms, biometric security checks, constant surveillance, and even armed guards aren’t out of the question!

While it is possible to implement this level of security at a customer’s facility, most companies simply can’t afford that level of on-premises security. Data centers, by contrast, manage these protections cost-effectively!

Achieving Compliance

In many industries, compliance requirements make high-level physical security essential. In our data centers, compliance is verified through third-party audits conducted every six months. These audits confirm that all security measures, including encryption, are up to standard!

This certification shows that we’re meeting PCI, HIPAA, and other compliance requirements. With on-premises setups, you’d be responsible for all this yourself…

Who Won The Battle?

Many of our partners frequently hear this question from prospects: “Is the cloud more secure than on-premises servers?” I believe our discussion today answers that.

Cloud servers deliver a level of security that’s hard to achieve with an on-premise ecosystem, and if it is achievable, it will cost your customers a ton! So, if you’ve been hesitant about moving your clients to the cloud and they need this kind of advanced security, now is the time to take that step.

As always, I’ll leave you with a quote, today from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Learn from the mistakes of others, because you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

Have a great week!