Cloud Governance

Governance is the cornerstone of control and oversight within an organisation. It involves establishing policies, procedures, and standards for application development and information technology services, along with the design, implementation, testing, use, and monitoring of deployed services. The widespread availability of cloud computing services introduces a potential problem – a lack of organisational controls over employees engaging these services arbitrarily.

Cloud computing simplifies platform acquisition, making it easier for departments or individuals to bypass established procurement processes and opt for operational expenses over capital investment. While this offers advantages such as reduced upfront costs and faster time-to-value, it can also lead to issues if not governed properly. Without adequate oversight, organisations might face problems like deploying vulnerable systems, non-compliance with legal regulations, excessive charges, misuse of resources, and other adverse effects.

A study involving IT professionals revealed concerns that cloud services might have been deployed without their knowledge, akin to rogue wireless access points in the past. To mitigate such risks, existing organisational practices pertaining to policies, procedures, and standards should be extended to cover cloud computing environments. Additionally, roles and responsibilities between the organisation and cloud provider need clarification to manage risks effectively and meet organisational requirements. Implementing audit mechanisms and tools, verifying policy enforcement, and maintaining a flexible risk management program are essential steps in ensuring security and privacy in cloud computing.

Cloud computing represents a paradigm shift in organisational infrastructure, and while it offers significant advantages, it also introduces new security and privacy challenges. By learning from past experiences and embracing effective governance, organisations can harness the full potential of cloud computing while safeguarding their sensitive data and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Atsky's Cloud Professional Services empowers clients to tackle the challenges affecting Cloud Governance by providing expert guidance on establishing robust policies, procedures, and standards for cloud computing solutions. Our services extend organisational controls to cover cloud environments, ensuring oversight and preventing the deployment of vulnerable systems. We clarify roles and responsibilities between clients and cloud providers, implement audit mechanisms, and maintain a flexible risk management program to ensure security and privacy in cloud computing. With our support, clients can fully embrace the benefits of cloud computing while safeguarding their data and meeting regulatory requirements.

Here are a few factors of benefits that organisations can experience through effective cloud governance and utilising cloud professional services:

* Cost Optimisation: Cloud governance helps optimise cloud resource usage, leading to cost savings by ensuring proper allocation of resources and preventing unnecessary spending.

* Improved Security: Proper cloud governance ensures adherence to security best practices, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access to sensitive information.

* Enhanced Compliance: With clear policies and procedures in place, organisations can meet regulatory requirements more effectively and avoid penalties for non-compliance.

* Streamlined Processes: Cloud governance enables streamlined and standardised processes for cloud deployment, monitoring, and management, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.

* Increased Visibility and Control: Effective governance provides organisations with better visibility into cloud resources, usage, and performance, allowing for better control and decision-making.

* Mitigation of Shadow IT: Cloud governance helps identify and manage shadow IT, reducing the risk of unauthorised cloud usage and potential security vulnerabilities.

* Scalability and Flexibility: Proper governance ensures that cloud solutions can scale up or down as needed, providing flexibility to meet changing business demands.

* Data Protection: With stringent data protection measures in place, cloud governance helps safeguard critical data and intellectual property from unauthorised access or loss.

* Improved Collaboration: By defining roles and responsibilities clearly, cloud governance promotes better collaboration between IT teams and business stakeholders.

* Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Governance ensures that disaster recovery and business continuity plans are in place to minimise downtime and data loss in the event of a cloud service disruption.

These benefits collectively contribute to a more secure, efficient, and optimised cloud computing environment, enabling organisations to leverage the full potential of cloud services while addressing security and compliance concerns effectively.