The cloud has a lot to offer. Organizations can scale their operations, manage their data more efficiently, and rapidly spin out new applications. However, there has always been a lingering question of security. This is especially significant for alarm monitoring and similar security platforms. What can you expect from the cloud if you migrate your monitoring solutions? Are the benefits worth the switch? Here are six questions to consider:
Security in the Cloud – How Secure Is My Platform?
Your business may be storing significant data on your new cloud platform. If you migrate fully, all your historical data will be included as well. Whenever you put part of your systems in an environment controlled fully or partially by another organization, you are potentially increasing risk.
However, this can be substantially mitigated by ensuring that all your data storage is compliant with relevant regulations and industry best practices. Private and sensitive data should be appropriately encrypted and otherwise protected. This is equally as possible in the cloud as it is with on-premises systems.
Most cloud security failures are the result of poor digital security management by the user. The main drawback of cloud computing is that it can more readily be accessed by attackers. However, relying on obscurity to defend resources is not a good strategy. Strong passwords, effective permission management, and proper security configuration can ensure the safety of your cloud-hosted resources.
In some cases, cloud services offer greater security because they typically have more advanced resources. It may help to explore custom monitoring solutions or other bespoke options. This gives you greater control of how data is handled while also reaping all the benefits of the cloud.
Furthermore, you should avoid trying to run a “lift and shift” migration. Instead, invest the time and resources necessary to carefully migrate and reorganize data and processes to be optimized for the cloud. This can require more effort upfront but will pay dividends with a system that is not encumbered by the faults of the predecessor system.
Hyperconverged Storage – What Are the Advantages for Small to Medium-Sized Business?
Many of the benefits of cloud computing are achieved thanks to hyperconverged storage. In this arrangement, the storage resources of a cluster of physical machines are shared between all the nodes in the cluster. This enables better scaling and protections against failed hardware.
Additionally, the ability to scale up, out, and through gives immense flexibility to this type of infrastructure. Although in many cloud computing situations this is handled by the provider, the upshot for businesses is that their data and applications can be moved around fluidly to ensure that the right resources (at the right cost) are always available to them.
Small to medium businesses often have two key requirements for their computing resources: flexibility and affordable access to high-quality solutions. Using hyperconverged storage and cloud computing, these businesses can compete with significantly larger organizations without having to invest as much.
Cloud Storage Cost – How Can I Measure the Cost-Effectiveness?
Many potential cloud computing customers are interested in the benefits of the cloud but want to be sure that it will be sufficiently cost-efficient. Naturally, measuring the cost-effectiveness of the cloud depends on your needs and plans.
Typically, the initial investment, maintenance and scaling of the cloud is less expensive than on-premises. However, the per-gigabyte storage cost may be a little more. For “as-a-service” solutions such as alarm monitoring, the storage costs may be lower as well.
Ease of Use – What Is Involved in Implementing and Using?
It is typically best to avoid a “lift and shift” implementation. However, investing in a more thoughtful implementation may seem daunting.
Depending on the cloud services you choose, though, you may be able to use an expedited implementation process. Additionally, finding a provider that meets your compliance needs and has well-established infrastructure can help smooth out the process. In many cases, implementation in the cloud, even for custom monitoring solutions, can be faster than on-premises alternatives.
After initial implementation, cloud services are typically easy to use. They are maintained by the provider, so you will no longer need to dedicate resources towards updating, support, and other maintenance. This can help to reduce costs and allow your team to focus more wholly on its core mission.
Automation – Will My Cloud Solution Have It?
Some cloud services provide automation solutions. While this is possible with an on-premises option, many organizations find that automation is cost-prohibitive in such a setup. Conversely, cloud alarm monitoring and similar solutions can offer automation at a lower cost and with less initial time investment.
These features can empower your security team to more efficiently monitor your business’s operations and assets. One of the long-time curses of security is that it is reactive and therefore late. Automation and in-depth data analysis can allow your security team to be more proactive. Harnessing the power of cloud computing could enable you to change the security paradigm within your organization.
Accessing My Cloud Platform/Data – Are There Location Bottlenecks?
A major benefit of cloud-based alarm monitoring and security platforms is that they can be easily accessed from anywhere. This can empower your team with greater control of your security operations.
This became especially relevant during 2020 when many teams found themselves needing to access resources remotely. On-premises systems can often be location-limited. Cloud services, on the other hand, offer greater flexibility.
Get More From Your Alarm Monitoring With Manitou Cloud Services
Bold Group’s Manitou alarm monitoring software provides custom monitoring solutions for security teams. This is one of the best ways to harness the power of the cloud to fuel your security success. Learn more about Manitou today and request a free demo to evaluate whether our hosted solution is the right choice for your needs.
Author Miguel Gutierrez is a Bold Group Support Technician.