Article What is more secure for MSPs? Running on premises or in the cloud?
By Insight UK / 16 Nov 2021 / Topics: Cloud
By Insight UK / 16 Nov 2021 / Topics: Cloud
MSPs are a popular target for cybercriminals as they may provide a gateway into their customers’ network. What does this mean for MSPs considering a migration to the cloud? The cloud has a dubious reputation security-wise, but how secure is a traditional on-premise data centre? Who wins the award for best security? Good question!
Security today is very different from five to ten years ago. In the ‘old days’, data centres had a well-defined physical perimeter, guarded with high walls, closed gates, fire distinguishers, hounds and cameras. As a result of the digital transformation, the boundaries of the perimeter have become less distinct.
Since the introduction of mobile devices, network traffic has grown immensely, and data is everywhere. On smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, sensors etc. The constant streams of datasets moving across the internet pose serious security risks. Sensitive business data can sit in places you can’t control. Especially mobile phones are notorious. Most people have access to their business agenda and email on their smartphone these days. That doesn’t automatically mean they also bother about strong passwords, secure Wi-Fi, or security updates. That makes mobile phones easy prey for hackers to tamper with and gain access to sensitive data.
It is a misunderstanding that moving to the cloud solves all security issues. In fact, a cloud data centre is just as secure as a traditional on-premise data centre. Yet, in some ways the cloud wins. To start with, you don’t have to invest in protecting the servers in the data centre. That is done by the provider itself who has much more capacity and resources available than you will ever have. Instead, you can focus on providing additional services to keep your customers safe and sound. With the increased number of data access points, users, and apps, this is already quite a challenge.
One of the main advantages of moving to the cloud is that you always have access to the most actual knowledge, expertise, and tools. A company like Microsoft has over 3,000 professionals working on security. They have developed all kinds of security services MSPs can use to protect your environment. Some examples:
Despite all the advantages of the cloud, don’t rule out local infrastructure too soon. When it comes to security, there is no one-size-fits-all. A traditional local data centre offers more control and options for customization. This will especially appeal to customers with sensitive data (e.g., banks, legal institutions, healthcare) who have to meet specific compliance requirements.
The conclusion? There is just no straightforward answer to the question whether a cloud-based MSP business is more secure than an MSP running their own data centre on premises. It just depends…
As more MSPs enter the market, you will have to find ways to ensure maximum availability and security for you and your customers. We at Insight have been working with partners like you across Europe for many years, providing valuable time, knowledge and support in many (hybrid) cloud scenarios.
Contact one of our cloud specialists to find out how we can support you in optimizing your cloud costs in line with your business goals, whether you are designing your first workloads in the cloud or work entirely cloud-based.
This article is part of a series of articles based on Microsoft’s WAF (Well-Architected Framework), where you find much more helpful guidance. WAF improves the quality of workloads operating in the cloud by focusing on a set of common architecture principles, including cost optimization, operational excellence, performance efficiency, reliability and security.
As a multi-vendor software licensing, workload and platform specialist, we can guide you through all stages of your strategic cloud journey with a series of workshops, assessments, services and best practices. From the first exploration of cloud or hybrid opportunities and benefits to support and optimization after migration. No matter where you are in your journey, we help you to find new ways forward and accelerate your business.
Follow our blogs on cloud adoption or read our client stories to find out what others say.
