Cloud Compliance Vault Security Solution

Cloud Compliance Vault Security Solution

The quality of professional support can greatly impact the availability and smooth functioning of an application in the cloud. Cloud providers' help desks can present a risk factor that is out of the control of the client, making it difficult to effectively manage this risk. This is particularly true for non-private cloud solutions, where support may come from a shared resource. In contrast, private cloud applications may have support from an internal IT team or a combination of internal and external resources. This type of support is especially important for complex, mission-critical systems and sensitive data.

Cloud Compliance

Cloud outages can be caused by a variety of factors, including natural disasters, hacking, poor infrastructure maintenance, lack of planning at the facility, employee turnover, use of subcontracted resources with less control, communication skill, cultural differences, law enforcement, and site closures. When an organization relies solely on a cloud provider's help desk, it is at a higher risk of a single point failure. To mitigate this risk, organizations should have in-house standby support and take proactive measures such as requesting information on support history and having SLAs to guarantee acceptable performance levels. Additionally, organizations may want to explore insurance options to cover losses from extended outages.

As a best practice, even if an organization has outsourced all its applications to the cloud, it should consider having a third-party oversight firm to review risk factors and test mitigation strategies. For SMBs, lack of application availability and failure to recover data can cause irreparable damage to the business. SMBs should work with experts in migrating data to the cloud, data conversion, and getting data back for testing. They should also check with cloud providers on access to backup files for test restore and recoverability at the client's premise or at a third-party site, and work with a third-party technical support to review the cloud strategy, test restore and recovery plan. Maintaining a periodic backup at a different location is also a wise decision, as it would help in the event the provider goes offline for reasons outside the client's control.

The terms and conditions in an agreement are crucial for protecting the business's interests when running business applications on the cloud. The agreement should cover key areas such as contract termination and transfer of data, infrastructure availability and performance, data protection, defined colocation hosting centers, intellectual property protection, low enforcement and lock-down, certified and licensed platforms, third-party access to data, indemnity, right to information, and data integrity. Data integrity is a concern when application data is managed outside of the client's control in a public cloud. Clients may not receive communications from providers on changes in security, servers, storage, databases, networks, or human resources unless it causes an outage. Providers may also resist informing customers of security breaches to protect their own confidence and integrity.

• Quality of professional support can affect the availability and smooth functioning of the application. Cloud provider help desk is a risk factor outside client’s control, making it difficult to manage effectively.
• When a client chooses a non-private cloud solution, support is likely to come from a shared resource. For private cloud application support, it is either from internal IT team or combination of internal and external resources. This type of support is important especially when the system is complex, mission critical and data is sensitive.
• The cloud outages can come from various components such as:
• Risk from natural disaster
• Hacking
• Poor infrastructure maintenance
• Lack of planning at the facility
• Employee turnover
• Use of sub contract resources with less control
• Communication skill
• Cultural difference
• Law enforcement and site closure
• When an organization relies solely on cloud provider’s help desk, it is a single point failure and therefore client is at a higher risk. Organization should have an in-house standby support as it would be necessary if the business needs to take recourse on application provider.
• Client could take a proactive measure by requesting information on support history and have SLA to guarantee an acceptable performance level. Client may also want to explore insurance to cover the loss of business from extended outage.
• As a good practice, even if you have outsourced entire applications to cloud, client should consider having a third party oversight firm to review the risk factors and test mitigation strategy.
• Data restore and recoverability: For SMB lack of application availability and failure to recover data can cause irreparable damage to the business. Client requires expertise in migrating data to the cloud, data conversion and getting the data back for testing.
• Risk mitigation: Client should check with cloud provider on access to backup files for test restore and recoverability at client’s premise or at third party site. The practice would help to validate the soundness of backup process. Maintaining a periodic backup at a different location is a prudent decision as it would help in the event provider goes off line for reasons outside client’s control.
• Terms and conditions in an agreement are vital to protect business interest when running business application on the cloud. Key areas the agreement should cover include:
• Contract termination and transfer of data.
• Infrastructure availability and performance 
• Data protection 
• Define colocation hosting centers
• Intellectual property protection
• Low enforcement and lock down
• Certified and licensed platform
• Third party access to data
• Indemnity
• Right for Information
• Data Integrity is a concern when application data is managed outside in a public cloud. Provider may not inform client of changes in security, server, storage, database, network, human resources unless it causes outage. Provider may also resist informing security breach to customers as it would affect confidence and integrity of the business with Vault Security Solution.