Cloud-based security-as-a-service (SaaS) is emerging as a valuable tool for small-to medium-sized businesses that require robust security but often lack the ability to install, maintain and upgrade a traditional on-premise system.

While the Cloud is seeing increased adoption in various sectors, there are still a number of misconceptions about what it really means to work within the Cloud.

Here are five common misconceptions about the Cloud — and why they’re false:

1. The Cloud is vulnerable to hacks.

One of the greatest fears surrounding the deployment of Cloud systems for companies today is their vulnerability to hackers. It is important to put those fears into context.

Knowing the risks and protection protocols can be an effective safeguard against bad actors wanting to harm a business through its Cloud-based applications.

Cloud-based services are known for providing additional levels of security. For example, if you use a larger, more sophisticated Cloud service provider, such as Amazon, Google or Microsoft, you have confidence they are investing a lot of time and money to make sure their ability to service your system or product is robust, highly secure, backed up and redundant.

Manufacturers selling Cloud-based products also have the added responsibility of making sure their products are designed and tested to the highest standards to protect against vulnerabilities.

While there is never a 100% guarantee there won’t be an attack, testing products to the fullest degree and using a solid service provider can greatly reduce that risk.

2. The Cloud isn’t flexible.

The Cloud offers more flexibility for users that can facilitate the easy exchange of information for an increasingly mobile work-force.

Cloud-based access control and video management solutions, for example, can offer security officials the ability to manage multiple sites remotely and the ability to scale as needed.

Similarly, an end user can access a security system from anywhere at anytime and on any device, and manage multiple locations seamlessly from one unified interface.

As long as connectivity isn’t an issue, physical location is no longer a deal-breaker for many organizations, making these types of systems more flexible.

3. The Cloud is unreliable.

Storing data can be a tricky business, and power outages, connectivity issues and mishandling of information can result in a system that is unreliable to use.

But the Cloud offers a solution for business continuity by storing critical information in the Cloud. Now when damage occurs to a physical location the information needed for security-related needs, for example, is protected.

With the Cloud, data can be backed up to multiple locations, providing increased redundancy in the event of an emergency.

4. The Cloud is expensive.

On the financial side of things, there are no upfront server costs, no back-ups to create and no need for complex network routing when implementing a Cloud-based option.

Cloud-based options allow organizations to more accurately predict cost as it relates to security, especially in a service-based model.

For example, companies adopting a Cloud-based access control and video management solution now have the ability to work directly with an integrator or dealer to deliver the service based on a monthly fee.

Rather than in more largescale capital investments in security equipment that may need updates as needs change and an organization grows.

5. The Cloud requires more resources than my business has.

Traditionally, an SME’s customer, support and office management solutions are all managed by a server hosted in a room within the facility.

When an update needs to take place, someone from the company’s IT department would need to take the server down, install the update and manage that locally, with the potential of adding more servers as the business grew.

A Cloud-based option, however, is virtual, eliminating the need for management and maintenance to be done in-house, taking time and valuable resources away from what the business is really about.

Cloud-based services usually require fewer resources than traditional in-house solutions.With regard to IT-centric work and labor, this means regular updates can be done automatically and maintenance can be outsourced and/or managed remotely.

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Kim Loy is Director of Technology and Communications for Vanderbilt.

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