Ask these 3 key questions to shore up cloud security

In the boardroom, a well-put question can be a powerful thing, illuminating risk factors and revealing the true priorities of a business. It is up to executive leaders to develop a set of questions that cuts to the core of an enterprise strategy and forces decision-makers to really consider whether they are navigating the organization in the best possible way.

With regard to cloud computing, a groundbreaking and widely popular enterprise technology, asking the tough questions is critical, especially for a company taking its first step into this unfamiliar territory. Executives should pose the following three questions at their next board meeting to determine whether their organizations are prepared to combat cloud risk and yield maximum ROI: 

1. Which cloud is right for our business? Before blindly investing in cloud computing due to its widespread popularity, executives need to look at the facts – these solutions are not one-size-fits-all, and each organization has its own IT demands. That's why asking this question off the bat is so important. It will start a ground-level discussion about the various kinds of cloud technologies and guide a business in the right direction. Identifying top needs – whether they be storage, Web hosting, email exchange platforms or hosted phone systems – is essential to ensuring cloud success. 

2. What are the most common cloud concerns? While every company will bring its own cloud priorities to the table, there is a set of risk factors considered universal across industries investing in these solutions. According to Chief Executive Net, data breaches are a primary concern for every cloud-centric organization, as the average incident can cost a company over $7.2 million. Data loss is also a worry for executives, as many services lack disaster recovery features necessary for off-premise restoration. Understanding these risks is vital to developing a list of key cloud criteria. 

Cloud computing is a revolutionary technology, but to realize its potential, a company must craft a strategy unique to its demands and risk profile.

3. How can we leverage solutions securely? Once an organization has laid out its biggest demands and risk factors, it can begin to work with service providers to craft a powerful yet secure cloud deployment. As Information Week points out, leaders must carefully evaluate potential cloud partners to ensure that investments are made wisely. Decision-makers should not hesitate to ask plenty of probing questions – on security, availability and transparency – during this investigation stage, as these inquiries will make or break a company's cloud outlook with a given vendor. 

"Without an understanding of the service providers' environment and protections, customers don't know what to expect in the way of incident response, encryption use, and security monitoring," explained author Charles Babcock. "What are contractual obligations for each party? How much transparency can a customer expect from the provider in the face of an incident?"

When business leaders ask the right questions, they uncover the truth about their organizations' cloud needs, identify risk factors and determine the best way to leverage cloud solutions. With focus and collaboration, this proven process will set them up for success in the digital age. 

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