In this article, Sonia Blizzard, managing director of Beaming, talks through some of the pros of the Private Cloud as well as dispelling the myths around securing data online and what it means for the care homes industry
The Private Cloud appears to be the ever-increasingly popular option because it adds an extra layer of protection from the outside world
It goes without saying that in a care home environment, data protection is key, so it is not surprising that businesses are increasingly turning to the cloud for the solution.
Cloud software allows businesses agility, while lowering costs, but businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their access and data is secure. The question therefore is: Public or private cloud?
What’s the difference?
There are many types of Public Cloud, the most common being Software as a Service (SaaS) and Desktop as a Service (DaaS), which allow for a simple ‘plug-in-and-play’ approach.
Private Clouds consist of cloud infrastructure that is designed solely for the use of a single organisation. This can be managed either internally or hosted by a third party externally and they offer more scope for advanced security. Businesses who choose a Private Cloud install their own server and storage hardware, while keeping the flexibility of shifting workloads among servers.
Better safe than sorry
Several Public Cloud providers insist they sufficiently maintain the required levels of security and that, in fact, the extra software and technology involved in upping the level to a Private Cloud isn’t justified when it appears much the same to the end user.
However, when you consider what sort of data you are storing about patients and staff, what would the impact be on your business continuity if this information was suddenly put at risk? What about your privacy and data protection policies, and could it even impact your care home’s reputation?
The Private Cloud appears to be the ever-increasingly popular option because it adds an extra layer of protection from the outside world. As an organisation, you can also rest assured that it is only those with authorised access that can use the Private Cloud storage function.
Someone else’s computer
You can never be too careful with your sensitive data and in the drive to make the issue of security something that everybody needs to be thinking about, then the Private Cloud wins for me every time
Most of us assume that we are using an accredited Public Cloud software, from a well-known name or company, and therefore it should be fine. Right? Wrong!
When you suddenly think of the cloud as someone else’s computer, where do you think your information stored in your public cloud is being held?
Just because you are working with a trusted firm, it doesn’t always mean the data you are using within a Public Cloud is being stored correctly. After all they are not as stringently monitored and regulated as Private Clouds.
The security of security
The truth is, all the time you are at the mercy of a public cloud, you will never be in control of your own individual security online. But, what would the impact be on your care home if you were suddenly subject to a hacking or a data blackout?
Private Clouds offer an individual, allocated space online, which can only be accessed by authorised personnel. Not only does this lower the risk of external hacking from unwanted outsiders, but it also allows any staff working offsite to access the network safely from a remote location.
So, when it comes to a Public versus a Private Cloud, it may seem as though networking a Private Cloud is more effort for not much more output, but this is simply not true. You can never be too careful with your sensitive data and in the drive to make the issue of security something that everybody needs to be thinking about, then the Private Cloud wins for me every time!
