Benefits of using the private cloud in the public sector: Why sensitive data should never be stored on a personal server

Vidhya Ranganathan, Senior Vice President of Products, Accellion

Whether an enterprise or government entity, the proliferation of BYOD has propelled data security to the forefront of just about any organization with a digital footprint. This is of particular concern to public sector IT where security and reliability are critical for managing and safeguarding sensitive data. The problem is compounded when you factor in the tendency of employees to cross-contaminate their devices with both personal and work-specific communications. As such, sensitive data should never be stored on a personal server, which can be more easily breached.

Private cloud solutions offer organizations many benefits that the public cloud lacks, however in order for the solution to be effective it must be properly implemented and managed. The public sector needs to ensure that sensitive data is protected, especially on mobile devices, even when employees take the path of least resistance seeking easy work-arounds to IT-implemented security measures.

In order to reap the benefits of the private cloud public sector IT must begin by clearly defining their needs and seek providers who offer security, reliability, flexibility and broad network access.

Own your data and the keys to the data

Organizations considering cloud as a data storage option need to first determine how critical security is to the equation. For the public sector, security is of the utmost importance and therefore a private cloud infrastructure is likely the best option providing the organization with added control and data protection including ownership of encryption keys. In contrast many public cloud providers retain ownership of encryption keys and are therefore able to access user data.

Flexibility

While private cloud deployments can seem more costly when first implemented (if factoring in the set-up of on-premise servers), they offer more flexibility and greater ROI in the long term. Private cloud systems allow IT to re-route usage and shift workloads as needed, without having to rely on a third party provider to do so. Additionally, private cloud enables IT to accurately measure services not only for fiscal purposes but also to ensure the most effective use of resources and fosters predictive planning. For the public sector client, dependent on strict budgets and approval processes, measured services offer a way to easily digest current services and the metrics necessary to adjust them as needed.

Secure Content Access from Anywhere

Secure access whenever and from wherever through a secure private cloud network ensures that stored documents are available from a wide array of devices. By funneling network access through a private cloud organizations are able to take a device-agnostic approach to security while still permitting seamless access to data. This resilience permits employees to easily work anywhere without affecting productivity and while also maintaining security.

Now that we know what makes a robust private cloud system tick, what should we do?

In order to select the best private cloud solution for a public sector organization, IT must anticipate scenarios where employees will undoubtedly seek ways to bend rules in their desire to fuse personal and business device use. In today’s age of digital communications, it’s no secret that workers find ways to install their favorite apps and personal email services. Public sector IT has a lot at stake considering the nature of the data they are responsible for securing, which makes secure storage solutions vital to business.

Seek secure-by-design solutions

IT decision makers in the public sector need to select cloud solutions that are built with security top of mind and as the foundation of their software. Solutions that boast the best-practice security features enterprises need to protect users, data, and IT assets, regardless of which devices employees are carrying, should provide:

– Integrated antivirus scanning to keep malware from entering the network.

– Integration with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems to keep sensitive data from leaving the network.

– Secure containers that keep business content separate from personal content and under the control of the IT department.

– Remote wipe of secure containers in case of lost devices, or employee departures.

– Rigorous access controls for content everywhere, all the time.

– Convenient, centralized access to content from any Enterprise Content Management platform, network drive, or any cloud storage service.

– Centralized logging and monitoring for security and compliance.

While cloud computing facilitates the elimination of expensive and unsustainable hardware, the largest hindrance to adoption in the public sector is security, an issue that is amplified with the adoption of BYOD if device use isn’t adequately managed by IT. With proper planning and implementation however, migration to a private cloud affords many benefits including enhanced control, increased efficiency and improved security.

Vidhya Ranganathan is Senior Vice President of Products at Accellion, the leading provider of enterprise mobile solutions that enable increased productivity and security.