It hardly matters what kind of data you plan to store. Almost certainly, you want it to be safe, protected from unauthorized eyes. Wondering if the Cloud is a suitable candidate in this regard? The quick, concise, and simple answer is: yes. With cloud solutions, you have no reason to worry about the security of your data. It's in the best "hands."

Data in the Cloud, Data Secured

Cloud services are generally hired by companies, organizations, and institutions who would very much dislike seeing their data in the wrong hands. Giants like Microsoft, Google, and our favorite, Amazon, have invested huge sums in securing their solutions. Therefore, security policies, system architecture, and operational processes are set to satisfy even the most sensitive customers. (Specifically, AWS was originally created purely for Amazon's own infrastructure management needs before the idea to offer the platform to the broader public arose. One more reason to trust the security of data on AWS.)

As security is continuously verified by countless audits worldwide, all cloud service providers will likely continue to invest in security. This is absolutely fine, as efforts to break security evolve alongside security measures themselves. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other providers cannot afford to fall behind in this race. Investments in security development may be costly, but regaining a reputation as a secure repository after a data breach would be far more expensive.

Cloud and Security? It Works Both Ways

AWS is relied upon by many significant institutions, including, believe it or not, the U.S. government. When it comes to security, there is no distinction among clients. You can be assured that your data will be handled with the same care as, say, data from the U.S. government.

Admit it, that's a level of security hard to match for common "mortals." Plus, you only pay for the memory you actually use.

It's also worth mentioning that the same data security you expect from the Cloud is also expected by cloud solution providers from you. As a user of the storage, you are responsible for the content, applications, and systems you store there.

Is There a Catch? Yes

So much for promises about guarantees and security. Now comes the BUT. You must approach the Cloud as the Cloud. You cannot apply old methods and ideas that worked for on-premise solutions. Although it is highly flexible, almost anything can be arranged in the Cloud, and it can be seamlessly integrated with the majority of "classic" solutions. However, you always need to adapt your behavior to new rules. After all, most security failures are usually due to poor security habits of users.

Mixing the New and the Old

For instance, we often encounter questions from clients about connecting the Cloud to the intranet. This can be done with AWS in two ways. One option is what's known as site-to-site VPN, and another is AWS Direct Connect. The latter can also be used in the form of a Direct Connect Gateway, allowing connection to multiple AWS regions at once. Thus, a user can replicate data to different data centers—perhaps in Frankfurt, London, and Milan simultaneously.

However, the solution must be carefully designed, secured, and encrypted from the start. Connection can be made during the process, but someone must be aware of it and perform key security measures. It is no accident that it's said that every chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Beware of Suppliers

If your architect designs your solution poorly, it will function poorly and, logically, guard data poorly. Those who want a lot of music for little money will likely cry over their losses. Poor configuration, implementation, incorrect choice of add-on applications—these all play a critical role in the security of the Cloud. Design, operation, and maintenance have their rules, which cannot be circumvented or simplified.

In summary, the Cloud has all the prerequisites to be the most secure vault for your data, even exceptionally sensitive data. However, if security fails, it is not the Cloud to blame, but the human factor that stood between the idea of a cloud solution and its realization.