There’s plenty of evidence pointing to the fact that businesses are moving their data to the cloud in droves. According to research from MarketsandMarkets, for example, the cloud storage market will reach $46.8 billion by 2018 at a CAGR of 40.2%. While the cloud can be great way to save money on storage costs and promises business availability following the worst of disasters, leaving your cloud backup and storage provider decision to chance can nullify these benefits. Before you send your mission-critical business off-site, it’s important to confirm your data is in good hands. Following are a few questions to ensure your cloud strategy doesn’t miss the mark:
Is your data secure? Checking details on security should be your first priority when selecting a cloud provider. Whether you’re storing patient records, CRM data, or marketing materials you don’t want it to end up in the wrong hands. First, you’ll want to select a provider that’s passed an SSAE 16 (Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements 16) audit. SSAE 16 is a regulation created by the Auditing Standards Board (ASB) of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for redefining and updating how service companies report on compliance controls. Cloud providers that have passed an SSAE 16 audit — ideally verified by a SOC (Service Organization Control) 2 report — have demonstrated they have proper controls in place to ensure security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.