You can’t afford to make poor technology choices if you want to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment. Case in point: cloud technology. While you’re probably aware of the many benefits the cloud has to offer, you might not realize that many companies are making cloud computing mistakes that impede growth.

Just like any technology investment, you need to understand the “dos” and “don’ts.” With that in mind, here are the most common cloud mistakes and what you can do to steer clear from the headaches.

Lacking proper access control

One of the cloud’s unique selling points is the fact that it can be integrated with countless business applications. However, this also means storing lots of sensitive business information in the cloud. As such, companies with inadequate security controls are prone to cyber attacks.

It’s imperative that you implement role-based security to control access to any sensitive data. Your employees will only be able to access the data they need to perform their functions. This minimizes human errors that could potentially compromise your data and it helps secure your endpoints, too.

Not encrypting data

Many businesses don’t realize that cloud computing was not meant to be a standalone infrastructure when it comes to security. We’re not saying the cloud isn’t secure, but with complex cyber threats at record levels, companies need to fortify their security systems accordingly. Data encryption is an absolute must.

Your data should be protected by 256-bit encryption with proper key management to protect the encryption itself. Any experienced cloud provider will have no problem implementing this, and if they can’t, they are simply not worth your while.

Failure to check application performance

There’s no such thing as complete infrastructure automation, even with cloud computing. While cloud technology can automate various processes and administrative tasks, you’re still responsible for monitoring the performance of your apps in this new environment.

Alarmingly, many businesses don’t realize issues with their software applications’ performance until they’ve become overly complicated. So be sure to monitor the resources your applications take up and make necessary tweaks so that they run optimally.

Choosing the wrong provider

Since savings is a primary concern for most small- to medium-sized businesses, they tend to partner with the cheapest cloud provider. This can be a costly mistake because more often than not, what you pay for is what you get.

Before you finalize a deal with a cloud provider by signing a contract, you should always ask yourself these questions: What are their certifications and standards? What approach do they use to protect your data? Do they offer a comprehensive technology and service roadmap? What is their plan for migration, support, and an exit strategy? Do they provide SLAs?

Of course, you wouldn’t have to worry about all this if you partner with an experienced cloud provider. At SimplyClouds, we have you covered with meticulous cloud migration, customization, and support. We have hundreds of clients who can attest to our expertise so if you have any questions, just give us a call. Whether you end up a client or not, we’re happy to advise.