What Are The Persistent Misconceptions About The Cloud? 

Most of us, even tech laypeople, are familiar with the cloud when it comes to computing and the benefits it provides for millions of computer users. This however, was not always the case. When the idea of the cloud was first introduced in 2006 by then Google CEO Eric Schmidt many computer users were a bit confused about the uses and benefits of this new technology. Now that the cloud is entering it’s teen years, it's worth reviewing some of the misconceptions that have evolved since it was conceived.  Misconceptions always follow technology especially given that users can range from experts to newbies just figuring things out. Here are a few of the persistent myths that get passed on and cause confusion about this technology. 

It’s Never Faulty 

Wrong! I mean really, c’mon. This is a top misconception about the cloud and its security protections. All tech has its vulnerabilities.  While cloud security is fairly robust there will always be potential threats that will emerge as hackers become more skilled and users falter in their security protocols.  According to Checkpoint and Cybersecurity Insider’s 2019 Cloud Security Report, some of the leading cloud vulnerabilities include: unauthorized cloud access, insecure interfaces, misconfiguration of the cloud platform, and account hijacking. Hackers will always be looking for new methods to access private stored data. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk to your cloud hosting company about the security steps they are taking to protect your data.

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It’s Expensive 

I guess everything in life is relative. While it is costly to transition over to the cloud, most organizations would agree that the cost is worth it in the end for convenience, reliability, and general security protections. As reported on ZDNet, “Up to 58% of organizations said that moving to the cloud has been more expensive than initially thought.” However, they point out that once companies have made the transition they are pleased with the operating cost as well as the cost benefit analysis that can weigh the price tag with convenience, reliability, and security. 

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Migration is Easy

Okay, nothing in the tech world is all that easy. There is always room for improvement. Migration is the same.  Cloud migration is the process of moving some or all of your data and applications into the cloud through a service such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. You can choose to move some of your applications, or your total organizational infrastructure where all of your computing, software, storage, and platform services are transferred to the cloud for any time, anywhere access. In doing this migration to the cloud there are some things that can (and do) go wrong. For instance, during the transition, you could lose some key files for good with no backup or redundancies to replace it. In addition, migration can take some time which may translate to downtime for your and your staff. Like anything else, most users explain that these positives and negatives tend to balance themselves out.  Once an organization switches to the cloud they begin to enjoy the benefits of this service. Understanding the misconceptions of this service is one of the best ways to fully understand how the cloud can be advantageous for your organization within a realistic thought process.