SafeBytes Software

* Hybrid cloud storage. What data goes where?

One of the challenges with hybrid cloud storage is the possibility that you are never quite sure which items to place where. This article attempts to answer those questions in the simplest form possible.

Some of the data is actually kept on site while the rest is put in the cloud. The crux of the issue is how the selection is made and its implications for your business or your PC setup.

It is important to understand why and how people use cloud computing. This is a popular concept that has been adopted in order to expand the reach and flexibility of file storage.

At the same time it can act as a backup for sensitive files which can be tampered with if the physical site is infiltrated.

The placement and organization of information

When you choose the public cloud, you allow for a wide range of enterprise activities using the latest technology. This is a low price point solution for establishments that are worried about exhausting their existing capacity. The issues that are of most concern to them relate to security, corporate governance, compliance with the law, portability and performance. Others would add the notion of longevity and consistency because this is the kind of data that you cannot afford to play about with.

If you decide to retain everything on site then it is under your control and its safety will depend on the localized security arrangements you have made. On the other hand if you have sent it off to another site then you run the risk of being totally dependent on what the other side is doing in terms of keeping your information secure. This is something that some businesses are not prepared to risk. The downside to localizing everything is that you end up spending more money, which defeats the very purpose of cloud computing.

The hybrid solution allows you to have a division between what you retain locally and what you keep somewhere else. The starting point is developing a rational framework that can distinguish data class from risk.

The files that are on public cloud are subject to a number of delays including uptime failure as well as the risk of breaching confidentiality requirements. This is particularly true during the transfer when the data is most vulnerable. Therefore you can pre-determine the files that are going to remain local. For example you may state that accounts are local but correspondence is offshore.

Possible risks of public clouds

The organization that is holding your data may go out of business hence leaving you with a data hole. Even if you recover that data, there is a risk that it will already have fallen into the wrong hands hence reducing your market competitiveness. Generally speaking the customer is in control. You will determine where the storage must be used.

However, you could also be restricted by the availability of space as well as the unwillingness of the other party to accept responsibility for looking after very sensitive information. In any case the use of passwords and firewalls is of essence.