Best Public Cloud Storage Services

Organizations using public cloud storage may benefit from much lower costs than they would if they had to purchase and maintain servers, networks, and storage infrastructure. But the benefits of storing data and workloads in the cloud don’t end there. Some of the main advantages of the public cloud include:

• Cost-effective: Customers pay cloud providers for the resources they use instead of paying for infrastructure. On the cloud, it is easy to add more storage as needed and pay only for what you use.
• No maintenance: The service provider maintains the cloud structure.
• High reliability: Cloud providers usually offer an uptime of over 99.999% of the time by using a wide network of servers. This ensures that in the event of failure of one server, others take the load and downtime is almost nonexistent.
• Scalability: Public cloud storage offers near-unlimited scalability. Organizations that need to scale up or down can do so easily from their account on the fly.
• Accessibility: Public cloud storage allows companies to provide access to data from everywhere. Thus, companies working remotely can have business continuity with distributed workforces as long as they have internet access.
• Resource pooling: Cloud environments pool their computing and storage resources, allowing for multi-tenant operations, thus providers can get economies of scale and pass these savings on to their customers.

Public cloud services work under a shared responsibility model. This means the vendor is responsible for the security of the cloud environment and infrastructure as a whole and the user is responsible for the security of their data and workloads. Keeping the data secure in the cloud is critical when opting for a cloud storage service. When looking at cloud service providers, here are some security features to consider:

1. Advanced firewall: Data in the cloud requires extended firewall features like checking the packet content for integrity and stability.
2. Intrusion detection system: Most compliance standards require organizations to track and record intrusion attempts. So IDS event logging is essential for organizations in regulated industries that need to comply with PCI, DSS, or HIPAA regulations. Some cloud providers offer intrusion detection monitoring to detect threats and malicious IP addresses.
3. Application and database firewalls: The perimeter firewall can block external attacks but internal threats exist as well. Cloud storage services that implement internal firewalls to restrict access to databases and applications offer a new layer of protection against internal threats. These can also block an attacker trying to move laterally inside the environment.
4. Encryption at rest and in transit: Data must be protected not only when transferred from or to the cloud but also while at rest inside the cloud storage. This is an effective way to keep sensitive information from an attacker. That way, even if an attacker can steal the data, they cannot use it without knowing the decryption key.

Unlike in the public cloud, in the private cloud, the user does not share the service with any other organization. Their cloud is dedicated to the company only.

Contrarily, in a public cloud, the services are shared by different customers, although each user’s data is hidden from other cloud users. A private cloud can be compared with renting a private house. It is more expensive but more private. A public cloud can be compared to an apartment building. The tenants share the common infrastructure but they each have their own space for their belongings.

Private clouds can be hosted, which means they are offered by a third-party cloud provider, or internal, which means they are managed and maintained by the organization.

Opting for a cloud storage platform has several benefits, like easy access to data and files. When looking for a cloud storage service, there are important features to look for:

1. File versioning: This feature enables you to edit files without fearing the service will overwrite them. Instead, these services keep several versions of your files so you can go back to the old copies later. Most services can even allow you to retrieve a deleted file.

1. Collaboration tools: Easy file sharing with other authorized users is a must to allow for collaboration in distributed workforces. The best cloud storage services also ensure secure access to protect the shared data.

1. Automatic synchronization: This feature updates the files in real time to reflect the edits you make. Automatic syncing saves you from having to sync manually, with the risk of losing data. Some cloud storage services also provide automatic backups so you can rest assured that no data is lost.

1. Security and file encryption: Your cloud storage service should encrypt the data at rest as well as in transit. The best services even allow you to pick the encryption key and identity and access management. Access control lets you ensure only the right user has access to the data.

1. Flexibility and affordability: Pricing models vary according to the platform. Some storage platforms offer limited data and get more expensive when scaling up. Others are more expensive at the outset but get more affordable with time. It is important that the cloud storage feature offers the flexibility to scale up or down in an affordable manner.