5 Ways Businesses Can Get the Most Out of a Cloud Assessment

1. Run A Cloud Assessment to Establish a Baseline

Before sending their assets to the cloud, IT leaders should run a cloud assessment. This exercise provides clarity around what cloud solutions are required. It can also reveal whether one vendor is sufficient to handle all of the data or if multiple vendors are necessary.

IT leaders can ask themselves several questions: Is the primary need to secure data and have it available 24/7? Does IT need to be able to quickly restore that data after a ransomware or other cyberattack? Does the business need a robust Software as a Service solution for apps that employees use? Getting specific answers to these questions will help IT leaders figure out which vendors to vet.

2. Don’t Assume Everything Will Be Migrated to the Cloud

While teams may want to move all applications to the cloud, that may not be the best choice. A cloud assessment can reveal what workloads need to remain onsite and what backups should stay in-house, with a second copy offsite. IT leaders should also ask how a cloud vendor handles hybrid setups.

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3. Identify Security Vulnerabilities Before Moving to the Cloud

Short-staffed IT departments often don’t have the time or resources to address ever-changing cybersecurity needs. An honest assessment of an organization’s security vulnerabilities will help teams decide which cloud services are most important and which vendors have the best tools to accomplish the organization’s security goals.

4. Learn the Vendor’s Policies Related to Securing Data

IT leaders can’t effectively secure their data until they understand the vendor partner’s data governance practices. Have a detailed discussion with the vendor and ask pointed questions about how the data is stored and where it will live. Teams also need to know where backups are located. This is particularly important as it pertains to compliance with data privacy regulations.

5. Collaborate with Vendors to Make the Migration Process Smoother

Simply porting current data sets and applications from in-house servers to the cloud is one way to operate, but it may not address all businesses security or data availability concerns. In fact, doing so may close off access to tools and applications that make things easier for administrators and IT staff. It’s also worth remembering that the cloud assessment process is ongoing. Decision-makers should continue to collaborate with their vendor and be open to incremental changes as needed.