Cloud Computing is a revolutionary technology transforming enterprises and accelerating digital transformation. It has proven beneficial not only for small-scale businesses but large-scale and mid-size brands as well. It is said that more businesses around the world will increase their investments in Cloud technology solutions, and there has been a sudden spike in Cloud deployments ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Cloud is important, and its dependence is becoming apparent. But there are various risks and challenges of cloud computing as well. The article here will discuss some of the most common cloud computing challenges faced by the industry, cliched cloud computing problems and solutions and other cloud security challenges and risks.
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Top 15 Challenges of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a hot topic at the moment, and there is a lot of ambiguity when it comes to managing its features and resources. Technology is evolving, and as companies scale up, their need to use the latest Cloud frameworks also increases. Some of the benefits introduced by cloud solutions include data security, flexibility, efficiency, and high performance. Smoother processes and improved collaboration between enterprises while reducing costs are among its perks. However, the Cloud is not perfect and has its own set of drawbacks when it comes to data management and privacy concerns. Thus, there are various benefits and challenges of cloud computing. The list below discusses some of the key challenges in the adoption of cloud computing.
The top 15 cloud computing challenges and problems include:
1. Data Security and Privacy
Data security is a major concern when working with Cloud environments. It is one of the major challenges in cloud computing as users have to take accountability for their data, and not all Cloud providers can assure 100% data privacy. Lack of visibility and control tools, no identity access management, data misuse, and Cloud misconfiguration are the common causes behind Cloud privacy leaks. There are also concerns with insecure APIs, malicious insiders, and oversights or neglect in Cloud data management.
Solution: Configure network hardware and install the latest software updates to prevent security vulnerabilities. Using firewalls, antivirus, and increasing bandwidth for Cloud data availability are some ways to prevent data security risks.
2. Multi-Cloud Environments
Common cloud computing issues and challenges with multi-cloud environments are - configuration errors, lack of security patches, data governance, and no granularity. It is difficult to track the security requirements of multi-clouds and apply data management policies across various boards.
Solution: Using a multi-cloud data management solution is a good start for enterprises. Not all tools will offer specific security functionalities, and multi-cloud environments grow highly sophisticated and complex. Open-source products like Terraform provide a great deal of control over multi-cloud architectures.
3. Performance Challenges
The performance of Cloud computing solutions depends on the vendors who offer these services to clients, and if a Cloud vendor goes down, the business gets affected too. It is one of the major challenges associated with cloud computing.
Solution: Sign up with Cloud Service Providers who have real-time SaaS monitoring policies.
The Cloud Solution Architect Certification training addresses all Cloud performance issues and teaches learners how to mitigate them.
4. Interoperability and Flexibility
Interoperability is a challenge when you try to move applications between two or multiple Cloud ecosystems. It is one of the challenges faced in cloud computing. Some common issues faced are:
- Rebuilding application stacks to match the target cloud environment's specifications
- Handling data encryption during migration
- Setting up networks in the target cloud for operations
- Managing apps and services in the target cloud ecosystem
Solution: Setting Cloud interoperability and portability standards in organizations before getting to work on projects can help solve this problem. The use of multi-layer authentication and authorization tools is also encouraged for account verifications in public, private, and hybrid cloud ecosystems.
5. High Dependence on Network
Lack of sufficient internet bandwidth is a common problem when transferring large volumes of information to and from Cloud data servers. It is one of the various challenges in cloud computing. Data is highly vulnerable, and there is a risk of sudden outages. Enterprises that want to lower hardware costs without sacrificing performance need to ensure there is high bandwidth, which will help prevent business losses from sudden outages.
Solution: Pay more for higher bandwidth and focus on improving operational efficiency to address network dependencies.
6. Lack of Knowledge and Expertise
Organizations are finding it tough to find and hire the right Cloud talent, which is another common challenge in cloud computing. There is a shortage of professionals with the required qualifications in the industry. Workloads are increasing, and the number of tools launched in the market is increasing. Enterprises need good expertise in order to use these tools and find out which ones are ideal for them.
Solution: Hire Cloud professionals with specializations in DevOps and automation
7. Reliability and Availability
High unavailability of Cloud services and a lack of reliability are two major concerns in these ecosystems. Organizations are forced to seek additional computing resources in order to keep up with changing business requirements. If a Cloud vendor gets hacked or affected, the data of organizations using their services gets compromised. It is another one of the many cloud security risks and challenges faced by the industry.
Solution: Implementing the NIST Framework standards in Cloud environments can greatly improve both aspects.
8. Password Security
Account managers use the same passwords to manage all their Cloud accounts. Password management is a critical problem, and it is often found that users resort to using reused and weak passwords.
Solution: Use a strong password management solution to secure all your accounts. To further improve security, use Multifactor Authentication (MFA) in addition to a password manager. Good cloud-based password managers alert users of security risks and leaks.
9. Cost Management
Even though Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) offer a pay-as-you-go subscription for services, the costs can add up. Hidden costs appear in the form of underutilized resources in enterprises.
Solution: Auditing systems regularly and implementing resource utilization monitoring tools are some ways organizations can fix this. It's one of the most effective ways to manage budgets and deal with major challenges in cloud computing.
10. Lack of expertise
Cloud computing is a highly competitive field, and there are many professionals who lack the required skills and knowledge to work in the industry. There is also a huge gap in supply and demand for certified individuals and many job vacancies.
Solution: Companies should retrain their existing IT staff and help them in upskilling their careers by investing in Cloud training programs.
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11. Control or Governance
Good IT governance ensures that the right tools are used, and assets get implemented according to procedures and agreed-to policies. Lack of governance is a common problem, and companies use tools that do not align with their vision. IT teams don't get total control of compliance, risk management, and data quality checks, and there are many uncertainties faced when migrating to the Cloud from traditional infrastructures.
Solution: Traditional IT processes should be adopted in ways to accommodate Cloud migrations.
12. Compliance
Cloud Service Providers (CSP) are not up-to-date when it comes to having the best data compliance policies. Whenever a user transfers data from internal servers to the Cloud, they run into compliance issues with state laws and regulations.
Solution: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Act is expected to expedite compliance issues in the future for CSPs.
13. Multiple Cloud Management
Enterprises depend on multiple cloud environments due to scaling up and provisioning resources. One of the hybrid cloud security challenges is that most companies follow a hybrid cloud strategy, and many resort to multi-cloud. The problem is that infrastructures grow increasingly complex and difficult to manage when multiple cloud providers get added, especially due to technological cloud computing challenges and differences.
Solution: Creating strong data management and privacy policies is a starting point when it comes to managing multi-cloud environments effectively.
14. Migration
Migration of data to the Cloud takes time, and not all organizations are prepared for it. Some report increased downtimes during the process, face security issues, or have problems with data formatting and conversions. Cloud migration projects can get expensive and are harder than anticipated.
Solution: Organizations will have to employ in-house professionals to handle their Cloud data migration and increase their investments. Experts must analyze cloud computing issues and solutions before investing in the latest platforms and services offered by CSPs.
15. Hybrid-Cloud Complexity
Hybrid-cloud complexity refers to cloud computing challenges arising from mixed computing, storage, and services, and multi-cloud security causes various challenges. It comprises private cloud services, public Clouds, and on-premises infrastructures, for example, products like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services - which are orchestrated on various platforms.
Solution: Using centralized Cloud management solutions, increasing automation, and hardening security are good ways to mitigate hybrid-cloud complexity.
Conclusion
Now that you're aware of the cloud computing opportunities and challenges and key challenges in the adoption of cloud computing and their solutions, you can take the necessary steps to address them. It is important to view a company's Cloud strategy as a whole, involving both people and processes, and not just the technology. The Cloud is powerful and, if implemented properly, can substantially help an organization grow faster and perform better.
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