Storage in the cloud: where is my data!?

The Netherlands already had quite stringent legislation on privacy and data leaks, but as of May 25, 2018, the GDPR will come into effect (AVG in The Netherlands). Then it is even more important to know which data you store in which location. Where is my data!?

The public cloud has completely turned the IT world upside down. More and more companies enjoy reduced management costs because they use external cloud services, such as Office 365. Unfortunately, the cloud is not the ultimate solution. There are most certainly a few drawbacks.

Storage locally or externally: where is my data!?

The more different external cloud services you use, the more diffuse your data is. A piece here, a piece there, some pieces everywhere. And then a customer wants to exercise his right to be forgotten… Of course, geography and nationality of the supplier must also be taken into account. Many cloud services are offered by non-Dutch companies. Perfectly fine of course, but that also means that their storage is subject to the regulations of their country of origin. For example, a foreign government suddenly has the right to request your data.

Vendor lock-in: your data is not yours

Vendor lock-in has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, this also applies to cloud services. It is often not difficult to go into the cloud, but when you want to get rid of the cloud service again, it is often difficult to get your data back. The question is whether you want that for your business-critical data.

Desktop applications: vendor lock-in and risk for data leaks

Many people want to go into the cloud, but we have noticed that many users tend to cling to their desktop applications. Not the least of these is Outlook. And that while web technologies are now so far developed that they are certainly not inferior to desktop applications. In addition, you only need a browser to use them. Many software vendors offer integration with other applications through plug-ins. The plugins only work if you use the desktop application. Very convenient for the workflow, but then you’re stuck with both solutions. In addition, users are very satisfied with desktop applications and are familiar with their operation, so why would you change that?

A crucial point of attention for desktop applications is the local storage of potentially sensitive data. This also applies to synchronization tools such as Nextcloud / Dropbox / OneDrive. Someone loses the laptop and then you have to report a data breach.

Training your users

For ICT especially, it is important to educate your users. Use an updated virus scanner, clean your computer regularly (history, cache, etc.), use incognito mode when using a browser on a foreign computer, use different passwords for each account, do not save passwords outside a password locker (storing them in the browser is extremely dangerous!) and there are many other best practices. These are very important focus points. It concerns your business-critical data after all!

Oh, there’s my data

With 1A-cloud you know where the majority of your business-critical data is located: on premise and / or in our data centers in the Netherlands. You have personal contact with your 1A-partner and they in turn have personal contact with us. Your 1A-partner can also provide advise and guide you in all issues concerning storing and using your data.

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