In the last few months I read a really insightful article that I wish I could find again; the article explained about a new-ish phenomenon called- 'CloudWashing'. With this, different technology service providers would call various components of their services a cloud based product. I understand the temptation behind this as cloud is the most exciting component of technology to date. Yet, calling a part of your service cloud or cloud-based, when it isn't, just leaves a large portion of the general populace utterly confused as to what cloud computing actually is.
I bring this up because I feel that genuine cloud vendors are falling trap to the same bad practice when calling their offering 'unlimited'.
When I was a teenager, I used to go with friends to restaurants with 'all you can eat' buffets and see just how much we can eat before getting kicked out. Granted, we didn't exactly go to the most expensive places around. But still, we never found a restaurant that 'all you can eat' actually did what it said on the tin. Fast forward fifteen years, and take note of the unlimited bandwidth claims of the internet industry. Weather it is my home wifi or my mobile phone, there is a point in the month, every single month, that my internet s-l-o-w-s w-a-y d-o-w-n. For my mobile it is around the 6GB mark, which granted is better than the next option down of 2GB, but still not what I wanted.
The reason I bring this up (other than taking a fun trip down memory lane,) is because Microsoft just changed the cloud storage game. A number of cloud storage providers would offer fixed storage packages on a sliding scale according to space needed, with unlimited being the premium option. Recently, Microsoft threw that model out the window and decided to offer unlimited storage as a feature of their service, and not as the service in and of itself.
This is a new development so I will wait to see if they will actually put their money where their mouth is and be the first provider (at least from my experience) to offer a truly unlimited storage service.
As before- if you found this interesting or agree/disagree with anything I wrote here, please let me know in the comments below!
Thursday, 6 November 2014
IBM Finds Cloud Security is a Concern- Big Shock?
So the last couple of years has been a colossal disaster for the reputation of cloud security. Every level of user has heard about users just like them, that have had a significant data screw up. Snowden and the NSA, Dropbox's leak, and the latest iCloud malarkey (both the celebrity leak and now everything going on in China), just to name a few.
All in all, things are not looking good.
Yet, the cloud has become an inevitability. The evolution of technology and the internet has made it that it is extremely difficult to avoid using cloud services. And really, why should you want to. The benefits of cloud has been proven time an again across almost every industry to improve things like: efficiency, reliability and costs. Many services have been vastly improved and streamlined with the help of cloud computing.
This morning, I read an article on USA Today that mentions a survey taken by technology giant IBM, that was focused on cloud security concerns. Their findings showed that 44% of corporate security leaders have concerns about cloud security, and believe a significant breach is about to happen. The article is generally quite positive, and ends with how IBM is going to 'save the day' with their latest cloud security offering.
What I found quite surprising about this, is that the concern is expressed by only 44%. With everything that has happened in the last year, it makes you wonder if these security leaders are following leaping to the cloud with blind faith, or if they are just really ignorant on the matter. I really can't decide which is worse.
Now don't get me wrong, I am an avid supporter of the cloud. I am extremely optimistic about the next wave of evolution (namely the integration of the internet of thing into our lives.) But, I feel that the industry has a long was to go in a few key areas. Security is number on in this. The lack of acknowledgement towards the areas where we are weakest, leaves us most vulnerable to fail.
If anyone actually reads this- please let me know if you agree/disagree in the comments below!
All in all, things are not looking good.
Yet, the cloud has become an inevitability. The evolution of technology and the internet has made it that it is extremely difficult to avoid using cloud services. And really, why should you want to. The benefits of cloud has been proven time an again across almost every industry to improve things like: efficiency, reliability and costs. Many services have been vastly improved and streamlined with the help of cloud computing.
This morning, I read an article on USA Today that mentions a survey taken by technology giant IBM, that was focused on cloud security concerns. Their findings showed that 44% of corporate security leaders have concerns about cloud security, and believe a significant breach is about to happen. The article is generally quite positive, and ends with how IBM is going to 'save the day' with their latest cloud security offering.
What I found quite surprising about this, is that the concern is expressed by only 44%. With everything that has happened in the last year, it makes you wonder if these security leaders are following leaping to the cloud with blind faith, or if they are just really ignorant on the matter. I really can't decide which is worse.
Now don't get me wrong, I am an avid supporter of the cloud. I am extremely optimistic about the next wave of evolution (namely the integration of the internet of thing into our lives.) But, I feel that the industry has a long was to go in a few key areas. Security is number on in this. The lack of acknowledgement towards the areas where we are weakest, leaves us most vulnerable to fail.
If anyone actually reads this- please let me know if you agree/disagree in the comments below!
First Post
Hello World,
This is my first foray into the blogging world, and I am excited for what is to come.
This will be my thoughts and ramblings relating to the world or cloud computing and technology in general.
I may just link to articles I find interesting or post insights of my own, it all really depends on work/life/if I have anything of any value to add.
Cautiously optimistic,
CTN
This is my first foray into the blogging world, and I am excited for what is to come.
This will be my thoughts and ramblings relating to the world or cloud computing and technology in general.
I may just link to articles I find interesting or post insights of my own, it all really depends on work/life/if I have anything of any value to add.
Cautiously optimistic,
CTN
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