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On-premises vs. Cloud What is the Safest
Place to store Data?
Place to
If you have to choose between the two options, data security usually plays a decisive role alongside costs. Many companies consider the on-premises solution to be the more secure option. This is due to the physical proximity to the data and the feeling of control. But is that even true? What five points should you consider here?
High Level of Cybercrime: Data Protection is more important than ever these Days
Did you know that March 31st was the last Data Security Day? Even independently of this, the topic is currently at the center of many discussions. Unfortunately, it happens often enough that hackers try to access, control or even steal other people’s data. In highly competitive markets and increasing digitalization, companies are forced to adapt to the rapid pace of innovation. And that also means you have to handle your data with extreme care. It is therefore important to ask yourself the following question: where is your valuable data actually kept most securely? In your local server room or in the public cloud? Let’s look at this question from the perspective of an on-premises situation. There are five aspects to consider.
1. The Degree of Professionalism
Let’s move on to the first point you should consider: the required degree of professionalism. Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated. So your handling of the data must also become increasingly professional. Ideally, you should always be one step ahead of the hackers. You need to take into account the level of expertise of your IT staff, their experience and mentality, your budgets and your ability to fill vacancies.
2. The Depth of your Knowledge
The second point is about the depth of your knowledge. What is the skill level of your IT staff? When was the last time you gained a new perspective by hiring an employee? And what do your budgets look like in terms of training and motivation? Are they sufficient to keep up with the pace of innovation? And how has the trend in these budgets developed in recent years?
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3. Your IT Skills and Experience
The third point focuses on the scope of your skills and level of experience. To what extent are you able to master all the applications, databases, operating systems and reporting tools your company uses today? Be honest: are you satisfied with the answer to this question?
4. Physical Access to your Servers
The fourth point: physical access to your servers. This starts with the access controls to your server room. What form do these take? How many different people have access? And do you know what your employees and external providers are doing in this room? Please also think about the employees of the cleaning company who work after hours.
5. Regular Audits
And finally, there is one last point: the audits. How often do you have a professional IT audit done - by an outside firm that will honestly tell you what vulnerabilities your security strategy has? And how exactly do you implement their recommendations at the end of the day?
According to a rough estimate, 40% of all companies that rely on on-premises solutions do not back up their data on a daily basis. Does this news shock you? And are you sure that your company is one of the other 60%?
An Annual Investment of one Billion Dollars: your Data is generally much more Secure with Microsoft than Locally
In 2020, Microsoft was awarded the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract by the Pentagon - the headquarters of the US Department of Defense. The Pentagon is probably the organization that places the most value on confidentiality of any company in the world. And also has the most to lose! The contract could now dispel the mistrust that many companies have about cloud security. What’s more, Microsoft employs 3,500 engineers who specialize in cyber security. The software company also invests a billion dollars a year in improving cyber security.
There’s no doubt about it: the security of Microsoft data centers is far better than that of the server room and the IT staff of the average SME. Don’t wait for the next data security day to ask yourself that. Because as important as it is to work with a good ERP/CRM partner: if your data isn’t kept safe, it won’t do you any good in the end. And it could even be that you also benefit from a cloud solution in terms of costs.