Digital Forecast: Cloud Management Risks in Remote Work Era

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t halting businesses to embrace the new state of remote work. Through the power of cloud technology, business continuity has been ensured  helping industries access their systems at home at any time allowing them to thrive in an unsettled time. But since no one saw COVID-19 happening and how fast it became a pandemic,  companies didn’t have sufficient time to fully establish their work set up at home and they swiftly jumped from one cloud technology to another in an attempt to enable remote work sooner.

Because of this unexpected shift, the cybersecurity and IT teams bore the weight of cloud management challenges, data security risks and struggled with under-licensed environments such as free technologies like Zoom, which is now facing increased scrutiny for their privacy and security practices. Although there are many benefits of working remotely felt by both employers and employees such as; flexibility, time-savings, higher productivity, reduced operating costs, fewer geographical restrictions and the reduction of our carbon footprint, the risk in data privacy is a pressing challenge. 

Many industries and organizations are forced to move business data from secured hardwares to the cloud so that employees working remotely can easily access this information at the comforts of their home. Non-IT employees get administrator access and control to high level business data and information that are supposed to be secured. The unavailability of technology options to secure and manage user access and authentication and the actions of employees, may be both intentional and accidental, and can add to cloud management risks.

The Role of the Cybersecurity and IT Industry in Cloud Management

The arising limitations of remote work especially on cloud storage has opened an avenue for Cybersecurity and IT companies to step up in fortifying cloud management and security to effectively prevent data breach at home. But in order to effectively address cloud management challenges, having an adequate number of support teams and talents who can remotely set up and maintain VPN servers, those who know how to utilize Microsoft Windows Server Applications, and who can configure and update necessary active directory, DNS and DHCP records and databases. 

Since companies find themselves utilizing the cloud and working with a number of unexpected and possibly unvetted cloud providers; technology and IT companies must review and update their policies to look for any common challenges that need to be addressed. They also need to have a clear understanding of their role as cloud providers and how they can roll out enhancements to their service. One of the great advantages of the cloud is that service providers can continually update their support remotely. Ensuring any updates are done in a test or non-production environment that will help security and data privacy teams fully assess any risk before introducing the new features to their clients.

But as the demand for technology and IT support increases, there is also a relative surging need for cloud management specialists such as AWS and Azure DevOps Engineers, System and Cloud Administrators and Threat Intelligence Analysts. But because of the growing demand, this could result in a limited pool of on-shore talents. Yet every company is now sourcing these specialists because of the new remote work set up. With hiring limitations in place in this high-priced job market, there is a challenge to scout for the best people to do the job with the limited training period and face-to-face skill transfer. Companies need individuals to put on board without the obligation to teach them the twists and turns of the cybersecurity industry. To put it simply, companies need those who are already experts in the field. 

The Solution

Given that most companies are experiencing an impact in their financial resources because of the crisis, they may be looking for options in delivering their services to the clients while ensuring that they get to save on operational costs. One alternative solution that may be beneficial for companies especially for SMBs is partnering with an outsourcing company like Infinit-O, who can give you access to a team of cloud management specialists. This will help you focus on your client’s satisfaction while your outsourcing partner builds you a dedicated team of System/Cloud Administrators, DevOps Engineers, and Solution Architects with proficient knowledge of various operating systems from Windows to Linux. These teams will help you improve your department’s productivity by ensuring faster response to alerts generated by monitoring systems, quick troubleshooting availability or performance issues on your systems and streamlined approach in providing technical support to your clients via different channels like your preferred ticket system or through  telephone. 

Partnership with Infinit-O

Infinit-O’s mission is to create endless opportunities for your company to realize your full potential. We take pride in our >97% client retention rate founded on trust and open communication. Having an extensive and profound expertise in cloud management, we’re here to help you build a great cloud management team of experts for your unique needs with up to 70% operational cost savings. You will have access to world-class talent that will be meticulously sourced and screened through our A+ Recruitment process. As your business demands shift, so can your Infinit-O team. Guaranteed operational excellence thru collaborative Service Level Agreement, metrics-intensive performance, and open communication. We are ISO 27001 and 9001 certified and GDPR-compliant, so your company and client’s data are always safe with us. 

Let’s work together in building a Great Cloud Management Team consisting of:

• Systems/Cloud Administrator
• AWS and Azure DevOps Engineers
• Windows and Linux Server Engineers
• Office 365 Systems Administrators
• DevOps Engineers
• Solution Architects

With a great team and a partner that understands your unique business needs, you can achieve the goals and vision you have for your company.

Infinit-O is the trusted customer-centric and sustainable leader in Business Process Optimization to Small and Medium businesses in the Financial Services, Healthcare and Technology sectors by delivering continuous improvement through technology, data and people.