Cloud storage has many benefits that undoubtedly outnumber the cons; thus, it is a popular choice among many business establishments. The ability to access your data at any time and from any location in the world is a great plus for any successful business. Most of the time, you will only hear the positive aspects of cloud storage, such as disaster recovery, and little is mentioned about the downsides. This article presents you with notable cons of cloud storage to help you in your decision-making process.
1. Vulnerability to Cyberattacks on Cloud Service Providers
The data you store on cloud storage is not under your direct supervision; thus, it might not be 100% secure. The cybersecurity architecture implementation of the cloud provider (public or private) might be vulnerable to some cyberattacks designed to penetrate the cloud storage specifically. When data storage is done off the physical premises becomes accessible from anywhere. The centralized nature of cloud storage with unlimited end access points via devices with internet connection raises the chances of cyberattacks as opposed to when your hard drive is in your possession.
2. Slow Backup and Restoration Times on Cloud Storage
When handling data storage using an on-premise model, everything is located in your home or office, thus physically interconnected. In such a scenario, you have the knowledge and capacity to control how the transfers occur. However, when you store data on the cloud, you are subject to some uncontrollable limitations, such as bandwidth speeds that might be slower than when transmitting data on a local network. Cloud computing can sometimes cause communication latency when the speeds are slow, and users in different locations might not share data across the network on time.
3. Risk of Extended Downtime by Cloud Provider
Most businesses that use cloud storage often complain about unexpected extended downtimes. One of the most common cons of cloud storage is that the servers where you store files are not on your premises. Your internal IT staff doesn’t have control over the system issues; thus, if the servers shut down due to poor internet access, maintenance, and services, or power failure, then there is no remediation that you can do. You are left at the mercy of the cloud storage providers for when the services will come back online.
4. Cloud Provider Regulatory Compliance
Cloud technology has particular government and industry-standard regulations to abide by, depending on the industry’s data security and cyber defenses. In some rare cases and depending on your data storage needs, you might not be allowed to use cloud storage altogether due to extreme security and privacy concerns. You need to be aware of the compliance issues in your industry and ensure that your cloud provider meets them all. Cloud storage providers handling sensitive data like medical or financial records have to comply with stringent data security requirements using a well-laid cybersecurity framework.
5. Cloud Service Provider Lock-In
When you opt to use cloud storage, it usually tends to become a long-term engagement, especially with a large organization with tons of data. This agreement means that one must be very cautious when choosing a cloud storage partner. Migration, configuration, and compliance can take months or even years as it leads to platform dependency, and you will be locked into a specific cloud storage vendor for quite some time. Depending on the nature of your contract, it will be hectic to change your cloud storage provider midway, and you will still have to offset the remaining subscription fees.
6. Variation in Cloud Storage Costs
Cloud storage might seem like an inexpensive choice, but additional costs for uploading and downloading files can quickly add up if you often access many files. With public cloud storage, the costs for data storage tend to add up and might increase over time. Although most cloud storage providers offer some free data storage, there is a limit to how much storage space one can be allocated. The good thing is that some cloud storage providers offer various data storage features at a low price.
7. Dependence on Internet Connection
Accessing cloud storage requires an internet connection at all times, and you might encounter some difficulties in transferring data should technical issues arise with the connection. You cannot access the cloud storage when there is slow internet, without an internet-enabled device, or are at a location where there is no internet. Any interruption with the connectivity can be frustrating and costly as your data and files can become temporarily unavailable on the cloud storage when you need them the most.
8. Cloud Provider Agreement
Discrepancies in cloud provider agreements may present some challenges when you want to switch from one cloud storage platform to another. Some cloud storage vendors might try to fix you into a long-term contract, thus limiting your ability to migrate or seize the service when your data storage needs alter. If your data storage needs are reduced, you will still have to pay the amount agreed upon on the contract.
9. Lack of Support
Cloud storage companies hardly provide their clients with sufficient support. Many of them focus on referring the users to their FAQ section or online assistance, which is tedious, especially for non-technical people.
10. Security and Privacy Concerns
When using cloud storage, you are handing over your sensitive data to a third party. It is crucial to ensure that the cloud storage provider you are entrusting your data with is trustworthy. However, privacy and security are often gray areas, and there have been reports of data misuse and security breaches.
11. Limited Control
When you store files on cloud servers then, you lack control and cannot customize your cloud storage setup. Large businesses with complex data storage needs might have a hard time here as cloud storage companies don’t avail of certain levels of customization. The cloud storage servers are operated and managed by the providers, and you will have minimal influence over any implementations.
12. Technical Issues
The cloud computing infrastructure is vulnerable to instability and other technical glitches. Even the best cloud storage providers can face challenges in maintaining high-performance standards. Any malicious action or DDOS attacks on your cloud provider can impact your shared resource efficiency. These kinds of attacks on cloud storage can flood the network with traffic, thus slowing down the service availability.
13. Bandwidth Limitations
Many cloud storage companies have a specific bandwidth allowance to allocate to you for free or at a minimal cost. The bandwidth offered might not be an issue when transferring smaller files, but large files such as audio require a large amount of bandwidth at an extra charge. If your cloud storage needs surpass this allowance, the additional bandwidth comes at a cost. However, some cloud storage vendors provide unlimited bandwidth, and you might have to consider this before settling with whichever cloud storage provider you choose.
14. Data Management Issues
Cloud storage systems have specific structures, and managing your data can be challenging. It is not easy to integrate your existing storage management system for your business with the cloud storage system.
Having read the above-mentioned cons of cloud storage, you must be wondering if there’s a reliable cloud storage company that you can entrust your data to. At Kennected, we minimize and eliminate these disadvantages with well-planned foresight and optimized cloud storage. Kennected is a SaaS company that handles your data with the utmost confidentiality and priority.
We offer Cloud Kennect, which is a top-class LinkedIn Automated Prospecting Tool for lead generation to grow your business exponentially. We also provide Kennected Video and video marketing software that allows you to relay branded videos that include CTA buttons and notifications when the video is opened.
Kennected is a trustworthy company that was #583 out of the Inc 5000 list of 2021 as among the fastest-growing companies in the USA. We have worked with over 17000 businesses and are the #1 resource for lead generation software and tactics. With our Cloud Kennect, your business will have better precision in lead generation due to our laser-targeted outreach that gives you better results. With Kennected Video, you will reach many more prospects and grow your business without a hustle.
The post What Are the Disadvantages of Cloud Storage? appeared first on LinkedIn Automation, Messaging & Outreach Tool - Kennected.
source https://kennected.org/disadvantages-cloud-storage/
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