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Software provider Acronis has urged accountants not to sacrifice data security in their pursuit of flexibility when incorporating cloud technology into business operations.
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Cloud safety threats are real, says software provider
08 September 2015
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Lincoln Goldsmith, Acronis' general manager for Australia, noted that the threats to cloud-based data can come from a variety of sources.
“Cloud solutions can come under threat from data theft and hacking, a company’s inability to react to changing threat conditions, or legislative threats like the government’s ability to demand user data from technology providers”, he stated.
Mr Goldsmith added that while these threats are real, cloud solutions should not be avoided, and that risk reduction was a strategy that needs to be incorporated, noting the costs that could be incurred as a result of a data breach.
“The expenses for the back-up, cloud back-up and disaster recovery from the cloud are generally 10 times less than the costs that can arise from a loss of data," he said.
"Downtime and important data loss or leaks can, for some companies, result in a total business collapse."
Zack Levy, CIO, Reckon, stated that leveraging two data facilities in unison was one way in which organisations can protect themselves and the data of their clients.
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“That way, in the event of a failure, the solution will continue operating with minimal (or no) services interruption to our customers,” he said.
Mr Levy also noted that the decision to store data locally rather than internationally is one which should not be taken lightly.
“What’s important to understand about onshore verses offshore data storage is what law applies to govern the protection of that data. If the data is in a different country it may mean that your provider is subject to laws of a different jurisdiction,” he said.
“You could also leave yourself vulnerable for breach of customer data obligations under Australian law.
“Make sure you choose the right provider. Someone who cares about you, your data and your relationship to the same degree you do.
“At the end of the day, protecting your data is a shared responsibility so businesses should pro-actively employ security best practices,” Mr Levy said.
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