Cloud Computing – Do The Benefits Outweigh The Risks?

Cloud computing is still a fairly recent software and file management system, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way people, businesses and governments store, share and access files. With this system now at hand, it’s no longer necessary for individuals or groups to buy highly expensive equipment to save sensitive files, applications and programs.

Instead, it’s possible to store huge volumes of data in cloud computing platforms such as Google Docs, Microsoft Windows’ Azure and Amazon’s EC2. What’s more, you only have to pay for these kinds of services on occasions when you use them.

Saving data on cloud computing platforms is proving to be far better than buying giant servers at huge costs. These kinds of investments need to have a high utility value for businesses in order to justify their often exorbitant price. Unfortunately, this is not always so, as there will be days where you will be using your data storage heavily, and there will also be days when they are only sparingly used.

Cloud computing has also proven to be particularly useful to a number of government corporations, as they have been forced to modernize their operations so that they can take full advantage of cloud computer technology. Not only does this make their offices become more efficient, but they will also be able to realize substantial cost savings in the long run.

With most government budgets shrinking, cloud computing is looking like it will be a very helpful tool that the public sector can use to its advantage.

However, there is one serious issue that needs to be addressed by vendors before any headway in the market can be achieved. Security concerns are the top threats that plague data clouds today. No matter how well companies market the integrity of their platforms, current cloud computing technology is admittedly unable to assure a comfortable level of security among many users.

First off, the biggest concern is that the files and systems of all a vendor’s customers are stored in just one dedicated offshore facility. Though cloud computer companies always claim that their platforms offer cast iron security, an increasing number of well publicized hacking incidents means that many people worry about the safety of their files in data clouds.

Some hackers have become so sophisticated and savvy that they have been able to hack even the most highly structured public file management systems.

Furthermore, there is also the possibility of physical theft from cloud computing facilities to contend with. Although remote, there is always a small likelihood that some unscrupulous individual could literally cart away the data platforms and all that information to sell on to hackers, who would of course be able to profit immensely should they ever get their hands on such privileged files.

Perhaps the answer lies in governments constructing their own cloud computer centers, which could then be secured with the same level of protection as that afforded to most military bases. One thing is for sure. Once the security question is finally answered, it looks like there will be no stopping the rise of cloud computing.

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