Cloud vs on-prem - Is your security better than a leading cloud provider?

Because MAX Risk Intelligence is a cloud-based security platform, we are scrutinized by potential customers and partners every day about our security practices and how customer data is protected. We also come across potential customers who are anti-cloud and will only accept an on-premises solution. This, of course, is a completely foreign concept to us.

You see, when we started, we committed our culture to being cloud only. You heard me: there is not a single server running in our corporate office. We've done it all with cloud services. From business applications to phone systems to CRM and marketing platforms, every bit is cloud-based technology. Even our own products and technology. 

What's probably more surprising to me and all of our readers is that Google announced this week that it was going all-in on the cloud. Wait, what?? Isn't Google already one of the biggest cloud companies? Well according to the article from TechCrunch, it turns out "that as recently as 2013, Google resisted using external cloud applications over security concerns."

I'm personally glad to see Google make this shift in policy and embrace external cloud solutions. I often wonder what drives companies to adopt an anti-cloud approach to their computing needs. Is it because they can't physically see and touch the hardware running the applications and data? Is it because they believe their staff is better-trained and has bandwidth to monitor every application stack in their environment for security issues? 

One thing is for certain, the perimeter is virtually gone as employees are increasingly mobile. Flexible schedule, home office workers and even contractors and vendors have access to applications and data in and out of the secured network. It just won't cut it any longer to avoid adoption because it "feels" safer.  In some circumstances that belief might be more than just unfounded; it could be dangerous.