Cloud Computing Security: How to Keep the Cloud up and Running

Cloud computing is no longer just a hot new trend. It has become an essential aspect of computing around the world. In fact, you might be surprised at just how much you rely on cloud computing in your day-to-day life. With cloud computing having become so important, it's also just as important to keep the cloud safe. Here is a primer on cloud computing, how it affects us, and why cloud computing security is so crucial.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is a term that encompasses several different services. All forms of cloud computing have one thing in common: they let you offload services from your own servers or computers onto the cloud provider's servers. The most commonly used types of cloud computing are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

IaaS provides customers a wide variety of infrastructure services to clients over the cloud, such as storage, servers, security, backup, recovery, and more. PaaS gives software and app developers a way to create and deliver apps whose development would otherwise require computing environments that are too complex or costly for them to build on their own. SaaS lets customers run important applications without needing to store them onsite.

How does cloud computing affect me?

If you've ever used Google Docs to write an essay, Dropbox to share a file, or backed up your computer with an online service, you have used cloud computing directly. To use any of those services, you hand data over from your computer to a company's servers in order to make a task more convenient.

But cloud computing affects us in ways that go well beyond personal apps. As many as 96 percent of organizations use some form of cloud computing, and 81 percent use multiple cloud services. Even if you don't use any cloud apps or services yourself, there's a good chance that a company you rely on in some capacity does.

Why is cloud security so important?

With so many organizations now using cloud services, that means a lot of crucial sensitive data is being passed through and onto cloud company servers. As a result, cloud services are increasingly being targeted by attackers. Cloud security presents a unique set of cyber security challenges. Cloud storage companies are often handling sensitive data that doesn't belong to them.

PaaS and SaaS services need to account for both their own security and that of their customers. There is a lot at stake when it comes to cloud security, and any cloud specialist ought to have an understanding of cyber security in order to do their job to the best of their ability.

How can I get an education about cyber security while pursuing a career in cloud computing?

Cloud computing and cyber security are so intrinsically linked now that getting an education in one almost inevitably means learning extensively about the other. If you choose a formal program that focuses on cloud computing, you will also probably end up learning quite a lot about cyber security, and vice versa.

Cloud Computing: A Reality, Not a Fad

Cloud computing isn't going anywhere. As the cloud becomes a bigger part of our day to day lives, it's only going to become more crucial that we keep it safe.

Are You Ready to Take the First Step Towards a New Career?

Are you interested in protecting the cloud? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Cyber and Network Security - Cloud Computing Track, consider ECPI University for the education you want. For more information on this exciting program, connect with a helpful admissions advisor.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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