You’ve probably heard the term “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, while this may be true for most things – in regards to securing your data, it may cause you more problems. 

While assessing the risks it is important to understand the different types of clouds available.

Types of Clouds:

• Single Cloud – This approach involves using a single cloud provider to service all the applications or services that you choose to migrate. 
• Hybrid Cloud – This approach involves using both private and public cloud services. The components of a hybrid cloud work together by using multiple deployment modes.
• Multi-Cloud – This approach involves using various providers to meet specific workload requirements. Unlike the hybrid approach, data kept using the multi-cloud approach does not interact with any other data. This approach has become very popular among organizations since it allows different departments to assess their different needs using different cloud platforms.

In recent years several organizations have been making the switch from a single cloud to a multi-cloud approach. In 2016, 80 percent of organizations were using a multi-cloud approach or had plans to switch over to a multi-cloud environment within the year and those numbers keep rising. This is concerning as this past year there has been a significant increase in data breaches. A recent study showed that 69 percent of organizations that suffered between 11-30 breaches were using a multi-cloud strategy, compared to the 19 percent of single-cloud and the 13 percent of hybrid-cloud users. 

When dealing with sensitive and private data, it is important for people to know the risks of spreading that information out among various cloud platforms.

Risks of Using a Multi-Cloud Approach:

• Security Risk – When it comes to your data, you want to minimize what services have access. With cloud services, the security responsibility is shared between the provider and the organization, this is easier to tend to in a single cloud environment. With a multi-cloud approach, responsibility usually differs between the various providers, putting more responsibility on you or your organization to understand any distinctions.
• Higher Overhead Costs – The more clouds you use, the more overhead costs you will incur. It is cheaper and easier to control and manage your data using a single cloud approach. 
• Cloud Sprawling – A common problem that multi-cloud users encounter is cloud sprawling. This happens when an organization loses track of their cloud computing resources, which can lead to an increase of breaches.
• Confusion – Using a multi-cloud approach can be very confusing and may require an organization to hire an IT team to manage and understand the ins and outs of various cloud services and how to use them to benefit the organization.

Stay informed and make sure you’re aware of the different risks associated with any cloud services your organization is using. It is important to keep your data in the right hands and only use services and businesses that you trust. 

At Lifespan, we have the world-class expertise and tools to handle 100% secure Data Security, Destruction and Sanitization for all types of data storage devices. For more information, give us a call at (888)720-0900.