What are the risks and challenges in relation to Cloud Computing?

While the benefits of Cloud Computing are clear, there are a number of risks and challenges to be considered. The nature of the Cloud means that many things are hidden both from the customer and the organization view. Guidelines should be established to ensure that the organization receives the information that is required and understands the technology architecture utilized by the Cloud provider.

Organizations need to establish what it is they are using the Cloud for. A hybrid approach is adopted by many companies, whereby some computing services are performed internally while others are offloaded to the cloud. The key challenge for corporate IT departments is deciding which services to hold onto and which services to let go. There will typically be resistance from a number of stakeholders (both IT and the business) that will need to be addressed carefully to gain support.

There are also concerns regarding the security of cloud-based services. Privacy of information can be combated with encryption, but due diligence to security is required when selecting a Cloud Computing provider. It is not recommended that sensitive data be stored in the cloud, as it usually does not need to have the same level of access as other data or services.

Another important factor to consider with regard to Cloud Computing is how easy it may be to transfer data and other content from one site to another or one provider to another.

*** For more information on the risks and challenges in relation to Cloud Computing we recommend you sign up for the Cloud Computing Foundation Course. The Cloud Computing Foundation course is delivered as an on demand online elearning course.