Cloud computing enables companies to easily have all their data online and the data can be easily synced between different devices, departments and branches thus increasing the efficiency of data sharing (Aung & Min, 2014). However, with the improvement of this technology, there has been an increased concern over the security of the data within the cloud, anonymity in the cloud and how to manage law enforcement requests for the data as it is on online servers. Additionally, there have been increased concerns relating to the data provenance and process provenance relating to moving the data online (Zawoad & Hasan, 2016). This paper aims to present a strategic plan for why and how to engage in the movement of the data online while addressing these concerns, therefore, providing an amicable way of undertaking the movement.
While the company may be a small business as per now, it is showing promise of it expanding and will now more than ever before require to move its data to ensure that it can be easily accessible and synced between the different branches, thus, ensuring efficiency. This necessitates the company to solicit cloud storage services.
The outsourcing of internal, private and confidential data to a cloud might seem like a move that will ultimately cost the company by making data insecure (Aung & Min, 2014). However, with the current improvements in technology, most of the concerns have been fully addressed by various Cloud Service Providers (CSPs); thus, leaving cloud-based solutions as still the best way to move forward and to ensure the success of the company (Muniswamy-Reddy & Seltzer, 2010).
However, various challenges can be associated with Cloud computing, for instance;
Cloud-based storage makes confidential company data to be easily accessible to hackers and other entities; thus, making it insecure (Muniswamy-Reddy & Seltzer, 2010).
The integrity of the data might be greatly reduced as on the cloud, various individuals even without authorized access and gain the access codes may change the data which may have detrimental effects relating to it.
The maintenance of anonymity as data stored on the cloud can be traced back to the companies or individuals who uploaded the data and if the cloud service will be accessible to the government and other law enforcement bodies; thus limiting company and client confidentiality.
These challenges can also be related to the major problems related to cloud storage alternatives for instance;
The individuals who have access and control over the data on the cloud, therefore developing the issue of unauthorized access raising questions of confidentiality and integrity of the data.
Additionally, this also raises the problem of who can access the data and when, in addition to the various security measures placed surrounding the data as there is the risk of increased hacking.
Moreover, the problem of increased government control in relation to cloud computing.
All these concerns and problems can, fortunately, be addressed by soliciting the services of Zoolz. Zoolz (Zoolz.com) is a Cloud Service Provider with a reputation especially in a small business that is growing (Rivera, 2018). This is due to its packages that do not include limits in aspects such as users and servers. This makes it easier for small business to expand without concerns of changing the packages purchased at the company and scale the cloud services as much as the company requires at a given time (Rivera, 2018). Additionally, the service is less expensive than most providers and ensures that data is stored at a local backup, their instant storage and a cold storage; thus ensuring the integrity of the data.
The service provider also ensures the data is highly secure since it also transfers it after it has been adequately encrypted via 256-bit AES encryption (Rivera, 2018). In addition, the service ensures data and process provenance (Rivera, 2018). Provenance basically aids in describing the history of an object or data set (Zawoad & Hasan, 2016). The history elaborates on the process involved in obtaining the data and how the data was developed. Zoolz ensures that the provenance of the data is ensured and that it can provide information regarding the data to the clients and therefore enabling them to make decisions regarding it (Zawoad & Hasan, 2016). With the provenance tools such as forensics, Zoolz ensures that ensures that the users have the ability to manage their data better and ensure the security and track changes that occur within the data.
In conclusion, to ensure a better future for the company as it is a growing business and cloud storage is a commendable step to take. Additionally, with provenance services offered by Zoolz, the company can be able to detect anomalies in data and readily restore backups from the cold storage and always be secure at all times and address all the concerns related to cloud storage. However, the company should formulate a policy regarding law enforcement requests and ensure that they can only be handled by upper management and that they should access this data with supervision from the company IT department to ensure that the data is not only corrupted but also confidential company assets are not left exposed.
