How to Work With Evolving Cloud Technology

Working with the cloud is becoming more popular than ever. Each year, more and more companies like yours recognize that there are lots of benefits to using the cloud, such as saving costs and working more efficiently. 

As more people adopt cloud strategies, the cloud continues to evolve. Cloud systems just a few years ago looked much different than they do today, as companies have had evolving needs since the cloud was first introduced. 

If your business is looking to work with the cloud, or perhaps already does work with the cloud, you’ll want to know how to keep up with the latest cloud technology. 

Keeping up-to-date is how you stay ahead of your competition, and we know just how important that is to you. 

In this article, we’ll share some tips on how you can best work with evolving cloud technology, from recognizing challenges to building a resilient network.

1. Recognize the Challenges

The first thing you need to understand to work well with evolving cloud technology is the challenges behind the public cloud. 

Though the cloud has come a long way, it still has several challenges that come along with it. Some of the most common challenges are security risks and weakened connectivity, though other challenges include cloud misconfigurations and lack of visibility. Employing a disaster recovery system, such as Loop Backup, for example, can backup your entire organisation's data in under a minute, offering robust security to keep your company's digital assets safeguarded against these challenges.

The more familiar you are with the cloud’s current challenges, the more prepared you’ll be for changes and updates to your cloud system. 

2. Evaluate Your Cloud Connectivity Options

Those of you interested in working with a cloud system should keep in mind that you’ll have a few different cloud connectivity options. 

There are a few different ways that you can access the public cloud, but some are better than others. The public internet is quick and easy, but comes with a price - this method is the least secure of all, and your data may be susceptible to hackers!

To reduce data vulnerability, some people use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to create a barrier between themselves and the public internet. While this can make your connectivity a bit more secure, this is still generally not considered the safest option. 

The safest option is a direct cloud connection. This type of dedicated connection gives you and your workers a direct link to your cloud, so you don’t have to worry about the public internet’s vulnerabilities. 

Direct cloud connections are generally more stable and predictable than other connection types as well, making your work more efficient than ever. 

However, each of these types of connections have different costs and fees associated with them, so you should consider your budget and personal needs before choosing a type of connectivity. 

3. Adopt a Multi-Cloud Strategy

If your business is growing rapidly, you may want to consider adopting a multi-cloud strategy. Some large companies use multiple clouds to store information, as they have so much data to sort and store. 

To do this effectively, you’ll have to develop a cloud-centric interconnection strategy, which is basically a blueprint for keeping track of all your cloud connections.

These strategies are often flexible and cost-effective, as paying for multiple smaller clouds is sometimes cheaper and easier to work with than one giant one. Plus, having a multi-cloud strategy helps reduce the risk of vendor lock-in and eliminates points of failure in a way that single clouds cannot. 

Cloud misconfigurations can be a huge headache, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of this happening to you.

4. Reduce the Risk of Cloud Misconfigurations

One of the biggest issues with using a cloud system is the risk of cloud misconfigurations. Cloud misconfigurations are errors in the configuration of your cloud, such as in your settings or security controls. 

Cloud msiconfigurations get more and more common as time passes. These are often quite complex, but can happen easily due to users who are highly inexperienced in the technology. 

Cloud misconfigurations are a big deal. For example, if your security is misconfigured, your data will be susceptible to attack from hackers. This can destroy your business quickly if you aren’t careful.

You may also face inadequate access controls, which can either give you access to things you normally shouldn’t, or deny access for something you need to complete your work. 

As if that weren’t enough, cloud misconfigurations can also affect how you track your cloud’s use and activity. This means you could miss alerts regarding additional data attacks, or be unable to determine how your clouds are being used the most. 

One of the simplest ways to determine if you have a cloud misconfiguration is to see if you have any difficulties accessing your cloud. If you’re not able to log in or are being shown errors as you try to log in, you may have a cloud misconfiguration going on. Be sure to hire a professional to fix the misconfiguration quickly and efficiently. 

Building a resilient network isn’t as hard as you think, you just need to have some time and commitment.

5. Build a Resilient Network

Finally, to work with evolving cloud technology, you should be familiar with how to build a resilient network. There are a few different ways to make your network as resilient as possible. 

For one, you should consider the type of connections you have to your clouds. If any of your connections use an unsafe method, such as the public internet, your network isn’t going to be very resilient. 

The public internet is extremely susceptible to data breaches, so you need to be careful if you decide to go this route. 

A direct cloud connection can help keep even the most complex of systems as resilient as possible. This helps you bypass the public internet, keeping your data safe and sound.

Having a direct connection also makes sure that you work more cheaply and efficiently, as you won’t have to pay some data transfer fees with this cloud computing option. 

Having multiple clouds can also keep your network resilient. As long as you have some clouds that are functioning properly, your workers can do what they do best, so you can focus on everything else. 

Resilient networks perform well when it comes to change, so this is an essential aspect of working with evolving cloud technology (so you’re prepared!). 

Final Thoughts

Cloud technology can be extremely complex, but quality business owners put in the effort to stay informed about challenges and advancements when it comes to the cloud. 

From adopting a multi-cloud strategy to reducing cloud misconfigurations, there are many tactics you can use to work more efficiently with the cloud as it evolves over time. 

By following these top tips, your business can successfully navigate evolving cloud technology, bringing you to the top where you belong.