Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular. In comparison, traditional local computing is already widespread, with features ranging from cost to ease of administration to one of the most important aspects, security.
Despite the proliferation of traditional computing, the cloud appears to outperform traditional information technology (IT) in every way. Even if traditional computing offers better functions, the continuous evolution of the cloud always seems to lead to the best solutions.
There have been changes like this before and continue to meet with criticism. Touch technology, for example, was met with skepticism; However, as the technology spread, it became an expected feature of most mobile devices.
It is likely that a similar situation will arise with regard to cloud security technology. But time will tell if cloud computing becomes a ubiquitous aspect of cybersecurity infrastructure.
The transition to cloud computing in security
As big data became a focus for technology processes and analysis, traditional IT systems struggled to keep up. As a result, many companies began to incorporate data cloud storage into their infrastructure because traditional data centers were not viewed as a scalable or inexpensive way to store and analyze data.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only helped accelerate the shift to cloud computing in security as the workforce switched to remote working, making security concerns a priority. Even with office restrictions removed, many organizations continue to offer remote and hybrid work options, so IT teams must decide whether to keep a traditional on-premises security infrastructure or move to cloud security options.
Read: Private vs. Public vs. Hybrid Cloud
What is traditional IT security?
Traditional IT security usually includes the management and maintenance of physical, local computer components that are responsible for network security and data storage by an on-site IT team. Its processes help to protect and monitor unauthorized access, malicious software or other threats from the misuse of your data, resources and applications via the local network and the on-site servers.
Further advantages of traditional IT security are:
- Get full control of your data environment, security operations and attitudes
- The ability to fully plan data security and freely choose your options
- Selection of the desired security resources and their configuration
- Complete freedom to decide how to respond to threats and how to detect them
- You can create your own disaster recovery plan that suits your skills
- Monitoring your resources, data and applications
However, traditional IT security has some disadvantages:
- High costs and effort for installation and maintenance
- You have to buy more resources and infrastructure to store more data
- Internal team required to manage the infrastructure on a daily basis
- Inability to scale down in some recession times to save costs
Read: What is IBM Cloud Code Engine Technology?
What is cloud security?
Cloud security offers a digital approach to cybersecurity with its own guidelines, standards, protocols, best practices and compliance procedures. Similar to traditional IT security methods, it helps protect the privacy of data, data centers, online-based resources, cloud applications and other devices and platforms such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Compared to traditional IT security, cloud security is typically the responsibility of the provider, so that large on-site IT teams are not always required when implementing cloud security. However, companies should still ensure that there are security policies and practices in place, as cloud providers do not have full control over what happens on the customer side.
the Scope of cloud security may include some of the following:
- Physical resources and networks
- Data storage and hard drives
- Data servers, including hardware and software
- Virtualization frameworks such as virtual machines and containers
- Operating systems
- Middleware and APIs
- Runtime environments
- End-user hardware, such as mobile and IoT devices
- Data access
What are the main differences in cloud security keys?
Despite the advantages of cloud computing over traditional IT, the security of the cloud is still controversial. In its earlier years, cloud computing faced multiple cybersecurity threats due to its dynamism, leading to the belief that it would be a major vulnerability for cloud security. However, cloud computing can still provide great security for businesses and businesses.
Key differences that make cloud security a viable cybersecurity option include:
- The cloud takes a data-centric approach to preventing unauthorized access, e.g. B. Data encryption, authorization process and multi-factor authentication, while traditional security manages access through the traditional perimeter security model.
- Cloud data storage offers the possibility to automate backups in geographically dispersed locations in order to avoid a compromise. Traditional IT methods create redundant backups in multiple locations, but these methods are usually more expensive.
- Cloud computing has the ability to integrate with third-party providers as well as integrate automated AI-based network scanning technologies. This can reduce costs and security threats that can be caused by human error.
- Cloud works with a zero trust approach. If attackers have access to the network with conventional IT infrastructures, they can threaten other resources. With a zero trust approach, however, attackers have to verify their identity every step of the way, which makes it difficult to access critical data.
Read: What is serverless computing?
Final thoughts on traditional security and cloud security
Ultimately, choosing cloud security will depend on your company and its security needs. There are many cybersecurity options available and there is no one solution that is right for every business. There are also many options in the cloud, some of which include integration with your own traditional solutions. Therefore, it is important to consider what cybersecurity features your business needs, how scalable the solution will be for your business, and what budget constraints there are before deciding on a cybersecurity solution, be it cloud-based or on-premises.
