Uncertainty data protection and continuity central government

Earlier this week headlined Dutch IT Channel: “Central government went into the cloud without considerations.” The Court of Audit warns that in two-thirds of the central government’s most important cloud services, no risk assessment was made. This leads to uncertainty about data protection and continuity of essential services – with potentially disruptive consequences for society.

The risks of ill-considered cloud implementations

Working in the cloud offers enormous advantages, such as improved efficiency and scalability, but also involves risks. The study shows that the state already makes extensive use of cloud solutions: every ministry works with them, but for over a quarter of the cloud services, it is not even known what form of cloud it is. This highlights how crucial strategic cloud management is.

The Court of Audit examined the main public cloud services that are essential for the primary tasks of ministries, such as office automation, weather data from KNMI and customer data in healthcare. More than half of these services are purchased from American tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google. This creates significant risks:

• Data security: Foreign governments may impose requirements on cloud providers that allow access to sensitive data.

• Continuity: What happens if a cloud service is hacked, goes bankrupt or abruptly stops?

• Dependency: Without strategic planning and alternatives, vendor lock-in occurs, limiting organizations’ freedom of movement.

Hybrid solutions: balance between flexibility and security

We believe the best approach is a hybrid storage infrastructure. By combining cloud with on-premise storage, organizations can benefit from the flexibility and scalability of the cloud, while securing critical data locally for maximum control and minimal risk.

With hybrid solutions, organizations can:

• Store sensitive data locally and protect it from third-party access.

• Build a redundant infrastructure for continuity in case of emergencies.

• Strategically allocate specific workloads to cloud or on-premises depending on requirements and risks.

Lessons from government cloud policy

The Court of Audit’s findings are a wake-up call for all organizations – public and private. Key lessons:

1. Make a risk assessment up front: Identify risks around data integrity, security and continuity before choosing cloud solutions.

2. Manage cloud usage strategically: Provide oversight and control over the use of cloud services within the organization.

3. Work together for economies of scale: Just as the central government should act as one government toward cloud vendors, companies within an industry can jointly develop standards and agreements.

Future-proof strategies

The Court of Audit’s report highlights the need for a thoughtful strategy when implementing cloud solutions. Organizations that invest in hybrid infrastructures now and weigh risks early not only ensure greater security, but also build a future-proof IT environment.

Wondering how hybrid storage can contribute to your strategy? Get in touch with us. Together we will ensure Zero Loss and maximum control over your data.