Cloud servers are a convenient, scalable, and relatively cheap solution. In the last decade, we’ve seen an uptick in smaller and medium-sized businesses moving their operations to the cloud. In 2022, 76% of people reported to have used public cloud, which is already 56% higher than in 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic paving the way for remote and hybrid work, cloud servers have become the most sensible solution for most businesses trying to cut costs and survive.
First, with cloud servers, businesses can easily manage costs and resources. Unlike dedicated servers, in the cloud, you are not limited by your hardware. You can use as little or as many resources as needed and pay accordingly. Need to quickly ramp up your operations and grow the team? One call with support and you got more server space allocated. Want to downsize and no longer need all that server space? Again, one call and you’ve successfully cut your costs.
Second, cloud servers enable employees to access data, applications, and services from anywhere with an Internet connection. This flexibility promotes remote work, collaboration, and allows for efficient business operations across geographically dispersed teams. If your company is trying to adapt to the new normal of remote or hybrid work – a cloud server is the perfect solution.
Also, because it is all in the “cloud”, there would be no more need for a dedicated space in the office for physical servers and other equipment and you won’t have to pay for things like electricity and maintenance upgrades.
However, despite all the advantages, using cloud servers has one big downside. The biggest issue with cloud servers is data security. 41% of businesses that have reported cyberattacks say that the initial security breach occurred in their cloud server.
The security of data in the cloud is a shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the user. And to be fair, most of the major cloud providers are doing their best. They invest heavily in security infrastructure and adhere to security best practices. But are you as a user doing your best?
In technology as in life, you get what you pay for. Many of the free cloud servers available don’t provide the same level of security and encryption that paid-for services do. Often, they are less reliable as well. You must do extensive research when choosing a cloud server. A good cloud server not only fits in your IT budget but has all the security measures implemented.
Don’t know what to look for when choosing a server? We Can Help!
We can also help you choose the right security tools for your business. You don’t have to do much, even doing basics like installing password managers and signing your employees up for cybersecurity awareness training will make you a harder target for cybercriminals. With password managers, your employees will be able to generate long secure passwords and autofill them in all the tools and websites they need for work. And with proper awareness training your employees will become your first line of IT defense because emails are the second biggest source of security breaches.