This is a question we get asked all the time, and like many things in the IT world... the answer is a resounding "it depends." In order to completely answer it, we need to have a discussion about your office, but there are some things we commonly encounter. The first question is always about physical security. Where is your data? Is it all on a single server under the front desk? Multiple servers? Spread out all the network on different computers (cringe) or is it stored in a locked server room with limited staff access? How many people have access to it? Do you have signed business associates and/or privacy agreements with them? Is access to your data being logged? Is access to the internet protected? Do all users on your network have administrative rights to install new applications (malware)? Unfortunately, most of the time the answers to these questions are unfavorable from the perspective of securing data, or can't be answered at all without paying a HIPAA consultant thousands of dollars to evaluate your network. However, you can check all those boxes when you migrate to our cloud. Our cloud enables you to centralize your data, which also means we can control access to it.
"I keep hearing about the cloud being hacked, why would I want to move my data there?" That's another question we hear a lot, and it's a good one, but there is also a good answer for it. The "cloud" is just a generic term for the concept of storing your data and apps somewhere else.
There are 2 major implementations of cloud computing:
- Public Cloud consists of service providers like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure. These platforms are massive and power roughly 70% of your internet enabled life. They are huge pools of shared resources, but they are purposely "oversubscribed" for cost savings which means your servers may be fighting for processing time with many other customers. The entire infrastructure is controlled by the service provider and only they have physical access to the equipment. Depending on your needs, these platforms are a great choice.
- Private Cloud offers many of the same benefits of public cloud, the fundamental difference being that a private cloud is controlled from start to finish by whoever built it. The primary advantage being the ability to dedicate resources, deliver custom features, and implement additional security as a part of the platform.
Our SecureCLOUD is a private cloud platform that we've built from the ground up to serve the needs of our customers. We use enterprise class hardware, secure network technologies, and have a tendency to overbuild, not oversubscribe... which means the performance you get in our cloud is unmatched.