Why you still need to think about Disaster Recovery in the Cloud.

Think putting your IT in the cloud means you don’t have to think about disaster recovery any more? Guess again.

The world of Information Technology (IT) has continued to grow and evolve at a rapid pace. Consumerization of IT and easy access to cloud technologies has had people from every functional area of businesses subscribing to new cloud services, bypassing IT’s almost legendary vice-like grip on technology and resources. This relatively inexpensive, easy to use technology has opened the doors of opportunity to businesses all around the world.

However, the cost of this easy access to cloud technologies has left a trail of out-of-control spending, data loss, hacking victims, data breaches, interruptions of service, public relations crises, and loss of business.

RTECecently, thanks to our hosts at TEC, I, and my fellow panelists, discussed issues incorporating the evolution of IT cloud services into disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) best practices.

Thanks to our moderator, Nathan Biggs, CEO for House of Brick Technologies and fellow co-presenters Alison Kassel, Chief Information Officer for Seaton Corp, Chris LaVesser, IT Risk and Compliance Solutions Leader for GE Healthcare, and Kiran Palla, Sr. Manager, IT Risk & Cost Optimization-Global Infrastructure Technology & Operations for DeVry Education Group, for engaging in such a vibrant discussion.

Here are just a few takeaways from this rich discussion.

When evaluating Cloud service providers:

  • Read the service level agreement (SLA) and make sure it meets or exceeds the SLA’s you have in place for your business and customers.
  • Understand and get the disclosure about security, access controls, and encryption of your companies data.
  • Investigate 3rd party API access to your cloud systems, so that it doesn’t over expose your companies data. (e.g. Google Apps for Business platform and Apps Marketplace)
  • Does the cloud provider provide adequate backup, DR, and BC of their own services? See how Code Space went out of business overnight because they got hacked in the cloud.

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2 thoughts on “Why you still need to think about Disaster Recovery in the Cloud.”

  1. Pingback: There is no cloud, it’s just someone else’s computer. – briangreenberg.net
  2. Pingback: Tethered to the cloud — There is no cloud, it's just someone else's computer. | CIO WaterCooler

About Brian Greenberg

Brian Greenberg is a technology and product leader, Forbes contributor, and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He lives in Chicago and has been working at companies of all sizes from the Fortune 100 to startups for over 30 years including international experience as an expatriate in Japan and Europe. In addition to being part of the Adjunct Faculty in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University, Brian Greenberg is an award winning CIO & CTO, considered a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and visionary leader, accomplished at strategic planning, process improvement, product development, and reengineering of key business processes. Highly successful in achieving financial results through strong customer loyalty and long term relationships with suppliers and vendors. Ability to achieve business results through strategic application of technology to business challenges. Readily pursues "stretch goals", not afraid to take risks, and is grounded in a strong teamwork approach. Regarded as a skilled communicator, team builder and negotiator who maximizes efficiencies and productivity through boosting employee morale and performance. Brian Greenberg has expertise in digital transformation, automation, turnaround management, security, data storage, and data protection. He is also a storyteller and an improvisor in Chicago’s comedy community.