Was the State of the Public Cloud Being Used Effectively by IT Managers in 2020?

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | Was the State of the Public Cloud Being Used Effectively by IT Managers in 2020?When Netsuite and Salesforce launched in 1998 and 1999, respectively, experts generally considered the cloud to be a fad. Since the early 2000s, the industry has experienced unprecedented growth. The collection, storage, and securing of data is a priority in the business world globally. Cloud-native technology has shaped business operations remarkably in the past decade.

Contino recently released the result of a study that can be accessed in full on www.contino.io/insights/infographic-public-cloud-report-2020. Within it, curious minds can gain enormous insight into the public cloud’s state in modern enterprises. IT managers in businesses with more than 5,000 members within the UK, US, and APAC were questioned to arrive at its conclusions. The survey took place at the start of 2020 to investigate the applications of could-native technology.

These are some of the study’s findings.

The Public Cloud Has Widespread Usage

Among the surveyed, 77% stated that their organisation used the cloud in one form or the other. Another 50% of these IT managers made use of the hybrid cloud. Only 1% of the professionals said they were using on-premise solutions at the time. The rest of the respondents made use of a single public cloud, single private cloud or multi-cloud.

Business-Wide Public Cloud is Uncommon

Only 13% of IT managers reported that their businesses had a fully-fledged public cloud system. Those who said that the most common application of the system was for projects or multiple apps (42%). 24% of businesses were experiencing progress in their public cloud usage, while 18% were still developing.

Most Respondents intend to Expand Cloud Programs

83% of the companies are currently trying to increase their cloud program usage. Out of these, 48% want to proceed cautiously. However, 36% think the best way is to move quickly. A minor 4% are interested in returning to on-premise solutions and mentioned that they were in no haste.

Security & compliance are the Main Obstacles

Security and compliance are vital to businesses. This is why business owners and directors are concerned about the risks of using public cloud since the two factors can vary significantly between industries.

The survey found them to be the biggest barriers. 48% of respondents talked about security concerns, while 37% were apprehensive about compliance. However, most IT professionals stated that these two issues were far from being the only barriers to implementing cloud technologies.

They cited a lack of skills, resources, and the hassle of integrating existing systems as the other issues that obstruct a switch to the cloud. 19% expressed eagerness to get with the cloud, but lack of leadership buy-in stopped them from going ahead.

The Public Cloud is Considered to be as Secure as On-Premises

64% of respondents think that on-premises offers even less security than the cloud. This belief comes after previous security concerns about the cloud. 29% said that they had not noticed any security-related differences between the two systems. Only 7% felt that on-premises provided better security.

Company is More Important than Location When Expanding Cloud Programs

Across the businesses surveyed, Contino found that location played little to no role in determining responses. Instead, the nature of each company that factored into cloud-related decisions.

The Cloud Facilitates Innovation

While 81% of IT managers stated that using the cloud-accelerated innovation, no one expressed any belief that the cloud was hampering innovation. 5% reported that the cloud increases their business expenditure. However, 79% said that the system helped them minimise expenses.

Vendor Lock-In is A Serious Concern

Though 23% reported that they had no worries about vendor lock-in, 63% expressed reluctance to commit to the cloud due to concerns with vendor lock-in that ranged in severity.

The Most Significant Advantage is Aligning IT with the Business

100% of the respondents reported many ways of switching to the public cloud was beneficial to their organisation. 72% found that compliance related to business data was easier, while 4% thought it was trickier.

Many modern organisations have implemented the public cloud in varying forms. The majority of respondents are committed to these programs in the foreseeable future. While security and compliance are the most significant barriers to cloud usage, they were also cited as the most remarkable benefits of switching to the cloud.

Defending Your Storefront With Care & Consistency

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | Defending Your Storefront With Care & Consistency

It’s important to note that when we own and operate a store, or a retail building, or our restaurant, we must learn how to defend it. Of course, that usually involves having rules as to what kind of candour is allowed within the store, and having security on hand to remove harmful people where necessary.

That said, it can also be that sometimes, our physical presence of being located in an easy-to-reach spot can be a problem. Furthermore, most people know that retail businesses have had to temporarily close down, or that offices are vacant, and that means they could be targeted by the hands of those looking to do harm. How are you supposed to defend your storefront with care and consistency in this light? Is there a best way forward?

We believe there is. Thankfully, you don’t have to feel that this is out of your wheelhouse, or that it requires overly expensive consideration. With the following advice, you’re sure to defend your storefront in the most aesthetically and purposefully intrusive manner.

Strong, Shatterproof Windows & Glass

Of course, it’s important to ensure that your store is protected with strong, shatterproof glass. This not only prevents people from getting through, but it prevents the nasty sharp edges that might unveil themselves if a trespasser were to break their way through glass and ultimately end up harming themselves. This way you can make sure that the exterior of your building not only looks secure, sturdy and aesthetically similar, but that it is much more secure than it might have been. In some older buildings especially, shatterproof storefront windows are essential.

Appropriate Warning Signage

Often, clear and direct communication is essential to prevent 90% of difficulties that may otherwise happen. This can often be applied in the form of consistent signage. For instance, you might clearly state that thieves or trespassers may be prosecuted if entering your loading bay area. You may notify just what burglar alarm you are using, or the fact that CCTV systems operate at all hours. If you have vans in your lot, a simple sign that states no tools are left in there overnight can prevent a would-be theft. Appropriate signage may not work in 100% of cases, but they certainly put your strong and firm point across -as if you were there.

CCTV & Security Measures

Proper CCTV and security measures can of course help you in the last-ditch effort that you may need to protect your retail presence. To enhance your security measures, consider installing state-of-the-art digital sign installation systems, which can not only act as a deterrent but also provide real-time monitoring and recording capabilities to ensure the utmost safety for your storefront. This might involve ensuring that your alarms are well installed, that you use a range of real and false CCTV cameras to deter would-be trespassers, and that you regularly communicate with other storefronts or restaurants in your area to make sure that you bar or ban the right shoppers, that you know who is most likely to cause trouble, and that you can adequately give evidence in the case of a difficulty.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily defend your storefront with care and consistency.

Keeping Your Business Safe From Any And All Threats

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Keep your business safe|Keeping Your Business Safe From Any And All ThreatsYour business is constantly in danger. It might not be imminent, and it might be through no fault of your own, but you’ve got to make sure that you are protecting it. Make sure that you take preemptive measures, and this will ensure that you’ve given your business the best possible chance of staying safe. In this article, we’re going to talk about what some of these measures are, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Online Security

The first thing that we are going to look at is online security. Unfortunately, cyber crime is constantly on the rise, and your business needs to be protected as much as possible from it. Make sure that your network has firewalls, encryptions and antivirus software to allow for maximum protection. It’s essential that you hire an IT expert to set all of this up for you if you don’t know what you are doing. Don’t try to do it yourself to save money or for whatever other reason, because it must be done right.

It’s very easy to leave holes in your security if you don’t know what you’re doing, which leaves your business vulnerable. The whole point is that we are trying to keep your company safe, so all of that goes out of the window if you try to save a little bit of cash by not using an expert.

Pay Back Any Loans

If you have borrowed any money, then you need to make sure that you are paying it back in a timely manner. We’re not saying that people are going to come round with baseball bats and trash everything, but the person you borrowed money from could take you to court if they don’t get it back. Don’t think that they are going to forget about the people that owe them money, because this is not going to happen. In fact, they use exception tracking and other methods to ensure they always know who owes how much.

You need to be careful about borrowing money in the first place, because you wouldn’t want to be in a position where you can’t pay it back. Stick to your payment plan and everything should be fine. You don’t want to lose your business over something like this, and you very well could if you aren’t careful.

Have People On The Door

The final thing that we are going to mention is that you should always have people on the door of your business premises. Nobody should be able to get into your business building without the proper clearance and authority to do so. That is where teams like this come in handy though. Having security on the door will act as a deterrent to those who would seek to do something harmful to your business premises or anyone on it.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you are going to need to do if you want to keep your business safe from any and all threats. Of course, there is more that you can do but this is just to give you an idea of a couple of them. We wish you the best of luck, and hope your business remains safe for years to come.

Can Your Business Handle A Disaster?

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Business Disaster|Can Your Business Handle A Disaster?Mother Nature is a fearless beast. She throws fire, blows wind and sends floods, and we have to be ready for it all. Depending on where you are located, you may face one or all of these different natural disasters and if you aren’t careful, you could lose your business because of them. Currently, we are living in a pandemic, and your business needs to be able to handle any disaster that Mother Nature throws at it. With the right protection in place, you keep both your employees and your data as safe as possible.

Data recovery is one of the most important elements to consider when you decide whether your business can handle a disaster. Not only do you need to ensure that you are keeping your data regularly saved, but you need to be able to get it all back to be able to recover your business properly. Keeping your business going through a crisis is important, so here are some of the ways that you can keep it all going.

  • Create A Communication Plan. Before a huge storm, a flood or a fire occur, we usually have some kind of warning. If your business is located somewhere that is prone to natural disasters, you will likely be aware of the rate of fires, floods and tornadoes that occur. You have to have a communication plan in place to interact with your employees. You need to know which channels you’ll use for communication, whether that is email, live chat, video chat or text message. Information that you share with your employees will include news resources and delays that are expected on public transport. You need a plan to keep talking to your team in the event of a crisis and you should have this in place so that everyone is aware of what to do when a disaster happens.
  • Do Better with Your Digital Presence. Too little information that’s outdated is going to cause confusion. You need to ensure that your employees are up to date with their online profiles and your website should remain up to date, too. You need to have a way for customers to contact you at all times, even when a disaster has wiped out your physical office. They still need to know how to get in touch with you and this is what will help your business to continue no matter what happens.
  • Interact With Customers Better. When you talk to your customers in the wake of a disaster, you need to strike the right tone so that they know you are still available to provide the right service. They also deserve to know that their information is safe. Communicating with customers during a crisis is important, as these customers are the ones providing you with continued business. If you would communicate with staff effectively, you need to do the same with your customers, too!

Take the time to put a business disaster plan in place, and you will be able to take on anything with regard to your business and careful recovery.

How to build a carefully considered health and safety strategy for your business

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Health and Safety|How to build a carefully considered health and safety strategy for your businessIt is estimated that you will spend more of your time in your place of work than in your own home. Considering this, it is likely that you and your colleagues will experience accidents and mishaps at some point. Health and safety issues can become costly for your business, in terms of both awarding monetary compensation and also potentially being damaging to your reputation; therefore, it is important that you craft a thorough health and safety strategy for your employees to follow. Here is a short guide to how to build a carefully considered health and safety strategy for your business.

1. Identify specific issues and try to rectify them

First and foremost, identify any health and safety issues that could potentially affect your business and employees. These might be easy to spot; if your business manufactures goods, for instance, obvious health and safety issues would be raised around using heavy machinery safely. Once identified, try to come up with solutions that could be put into place immediately. For example, safety eyewear and ear protection should be required when using machinery in a manufacturing environment. Other health and safety issues might not be so obvious, however, especially if your business is office based with no clear hazards. Nevertheless, your employees might be susceptible to such issues as eye strain from using screens for prolonged periods without a break. Furthermore, people working in all industries could potentially develop work related stress if an effective work-life balance is not implemented.

2. Ensure that you have a well-stocked and comprehensive first aid kit

From painful papercuts to trapped fingers, minor accidents are a part of life and are likely to be experienced in your place of work. Therefore, it is important that you have a first aid kit on hand that is easily accessible and well-stocked – no one wants to have the nasty discovery that there are no bandaids to cover a painful cut. As well as standard first aid items like bandaids, Tylenol, and antiseptic wipes, you should also make sure that you are prepared for any medical emergency that your business may experience. This might include first aid items particularly relevant to your business, such as treatment for chemical burns. Visit rapid-rescue.com.au for more information about first aid and medical equipment for your business.

3. Provide training for all employees

It is no use having a well-stocked first aid kit if none of your employees know how to respond to a crisis; it is therefore imperative that you provide health and safety training to all of your employees, and ensure that these skills are regularly updated. CPR and first aid training will provide your employees with the skills and confidence needed to immediately respond to a crisis. Develop an evacuation procedure for your place of work and make sure that you practice this at least every six months to ensure that your employees are evacuated safely in the event of a crisis.