When we are talking with our clients about cloud storage, one of the questions we always get is, “are there any potential cloud problems?” The answer is… yes. No service is without risk BUT what we have found is that it’s user error that leads to many of the cloud problems. Whether the user error is malicious or inadvertent (and most are inadvertent), cloud storage could be where your company fortunes and user data reside – that is a potential danger to your company’s viability and data.
Here are some of the concerns and potential cloud problems you (or your IT staff) or even consumers can run into.
Are There Any Potential Cloud Problems? At Least 10
- Outages. When you work in the cloud, it’s great… until it’s not. When the connection to the cloud storage is interrupted or there is a lack of access to the internet, your company and employees are unable to work and that is one of the definite cloud problems.
- Upgrades and updates. We always recommend users update and upgrade when these are offered. Updates typically address potential cybersecurity issues. Although, when upgrades are automatic, it can lead to storage being offline. Remember in 2011 when Amazon’s storage went out following an upgrade that went terribly wrong? It can happen, but we do recommend not ignoring upgrades and updates to the software.
- Cloud outages. If your cloud provider suffers an outage, that will definitely impact you and your business operations. Big cloud outages have occurred with Amazon, Google and Microsoft – outages happen to even big companies.
- The cost. As with many services, you may find the costs are continually on the rise. Your company needs to determine when the cost is too much and then you will need to look for other options.
- Mitigation issues. What if you want to migrate from one cloud storage provider to another? It could e costly, may require hiring staff and even investing in new equipment. You will want to look into migration before you commit to a contract. This is one of those cloud problems that can be avoided if you work with an experienced IT pro.
- Speaking of contracts…Businesses and individuals are at the mercy of the provider.
- Cyberattacks. Cloud computing is secure, but as with anything that is online, it can be hacked. That’s why your company needs to have robust IT solutions and cybersecurity protocols in place.
- The government is watching. There are many new anti-privacy laws in effect and that could mean the government can access your data and snoop on you and your data.
- Online support is sometimes minimal. You may think that if you’re using cloud storage and the provider has tech staff that you can cut costs and reduce your staff. That is not the best idea. Your personal IT staff have your best interests at heart – the cloud provider most likely doesn’t
- Cloud storage providers can change the look and feel and you’re at its mercy. Change is not always good when you log into your cloud storage and find its applications or the way in which you use it has fundamentally changed. Changes to the storage could include retraining and even hiring staff to put out fires caused by the change.
Don’t be afraid of the cloud – that wasn’t the intent of this article. This article is meant to educate you on the potential issues so you and your IT staff can be aware of them and put protocols in place to address any and all of them.
Read our first cloud article: What Is The Cloud.
Read our second cloud article: Types Of Cloud Services
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