Recognize the disadvantages of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing can be a real driver of innovation and performance for a company. It allows small businesses to use cutting-edge software that is not usually available to them. Nevertheless, cloud computing has some disadvantages that should be identified before opting for this solution.
What are the services of cloud computing ?
The cloud computing refers to theoutsourcing of an IT infrastructure. Instead of hosting its data on its own storage solutions, a company uses a third-party provider remote servers. Thanks to cloud computing, the backup of a company’s data and its recovery are simplified.
It is possible to choose from several cloud computing services :
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
The IaaS implies the rental of servers, virtual machines, storage space, etc. Migrating its IT infrastructure to this type of cloud service allows, among other things, a company to :
- To free oneself from the maintenance of the data center premises;
- Save on hardware costs;
- Benefit from the flexibility to scale its IT resources according to demand;
- Increase the reliability of its own IT infrastructure.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
The Saas is a model that consists of provide on-demand software applications. These are accessible via a web browser. With SaaS, the hosting and management of software applications is the responsibility of a cloud service provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM Cloud or even Microsoft Azure.
The external provider can also guarantee the availability of data stored on its servers and their security.
With SaaS solutions, an enterprise can deploy an application quickly and cheaply.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
In addition to the basic services included in SaaS, the PaaS provides access to a turnkey programming environment. The latter allows to develop and test software applications, but also to provide and manage them.
With PaaS, developers can build applications without having to worry about details like configuring the necessary infrastructure. They also do not have to worry about database management.
What are the limits of cloud computing ?
While the advantages of cloud computing for a company are undeniable, this solution also has several limitations. Among the main ones disadvantages of cloud computing figure the fact that theaccess to data can only be done online. Users are thus highly dependent on the Internet connection.
If a network failure occurs or if they are in an area with poor Internet access, they will not be able to use the cloud.
On the other hand data hosted on virtual servers are under the control of the service provider cloud computing service. By turning to such a provider, a company risks seeing the integrity of its information system compromised. In concrete terms, it may lose the knowledge and skills related to it.
It is also likely to be dependent on specific technologies offered by the provider. In the long term, this situation can create a dependency on the latter and hinder the reversibility of the.
With cloud computing, a company can totally entrusts the maintenance of its servers to a supplier. The latter ensures exclusively that they comply with the RGPD and other regulations in force. This is why it is important to carefully read the terms of use before adopting cloud computing.
This is also why it is crucial to analyze a provider’s security and compliance measures.
In addition, not all cloud providers offer the same functionality. Some can, for example impose a bandwidth limit. For others, it is possible that the storage space offered is limited.
A significant risk for your personal and corporate data
The risk data is also part of the disadvantages of cloud computing disadvantages of cloud computing. Indeed, there is no guarantee that the provider will not exploit them for commercial purposes. In addition, many situations have already shown that the data storage servers of large companies are vulnerable to hackers.
This allowed hackers to access sensitive data.
On the other hand, it is important to know that the most world-class data centers are located in the United States. In the context of the fight against terrorism, they may well have access to data hosted on a server provided by a provider of American nationality. This is valid even if it is located in Europe.
It is nevertheless possible to limit the cloud computing drawbacks in terms of data security. To do this, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations of the CNIL. This authority advises, for example, to identify data that will be subject to cloud storage.
She also advocates choosing a cloud provider that offers sufficient guarantees of compliance with the law.