With the Cloud still a relatively new phenomena, it’s no surprise the guidelines and legislation around it seem to be in a state of constant flux.
It is a situation that has resulted in many businesses delaying their commitment to using the technology, with entrepreneurs not willing to expose themselves to the potential risk of inadvertently breaking laws regarding a system they may not fully understand.
The waters are further muddied by the variety of cloud models that are available – with questions also existing over how operating a public, private or hybrid platform makes a difference to the regulations you need to ensure you are abiding by.
According to research presented in an infographic by Canopy – the open cloud company, 18 per cent of UK businesses view legal and regulatory compliance as a hurdle to the adoption of the Cloud.
The ability to protect sensitive data is likely to be one of the main concerns, with heavy fines and bad publicity the penalty for any company that fails to keep its information secure. It’s understandable why this is a scary issue – especially if you don’t have a full grasp over how the cloud works or even what you actually need to be doing to stay within the regulations.
However, in reality, security is an issue most firms can easily get a grip of, with third-party Cloud service providers like Canopy at the forefront of assisting those who are not 100 per cent confident in their own ability to manage the Cloud.
One way that you can increase your level of control when it comes to security is by opting for a private Cloud system. This can again be provided by a third-party supplier and comes in the form of a dedicated infrastructure that will allow you to closely manage how data is handled and protected from possible breaches.
The most important thing to remember when considering moving to the Cloud is to do the homework before taking the leap. The benefits of such a transition are plentiful – creating a more flexible, mobile environment for workers and bringing the company into the 21st century – with cost savings and increased efficiency are just some of the plus points.
However, it is vital not to jump onto the bandwagon without knowing what responsibilities you will take on as a result. You wouldn’t do this with any other aspect of business, so what makes this any different?
With a third-party supplier, you have a partner that can help to address any potential issues and has it in their interest to stop any security breaches from happening.
Canopy says many businesses admit they are skilled in overcoming legal challenges when it comes to adopting the Cloud and this certainly indicates that, regardless of the concerns you may have in transitioning to the system yourself, it is worth the investment of your time to gain an understanding – as it may be much more straightforward than you think.