Get Off of My Cloud

Hey you,

Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  But, unless you are listening to classic rock, it isn’t something you are otherwise likely to hear these days. In fact, just the opposite. At a time when offers for free cloud storage (with subscription of course) are coming from everyone including the ice cream truck driver, will we, metaphorically speaking, ever see the sun again?

Just as a volcanic eruption can blot out the sun, so too can a catastrophic loss of intellectual property and data.

Cloud computing and storage have a lot of perks, no doubt, but there are also significant risks. Remember, it is at least as important to be aware of weaknesses and potential threats, as strengths and opportunities. This is all the more applicable in a post AIA (America Invents Act) environment.

PROTECT your intellectual property! Thieves are thieves, irrespective of their methodology; old or new.

So, what is cloud computing and storage? Pretty basic question, but also an important one.

Let us consult the “all wise and knowing” Wikipedia Wizard for definitions:

cloud com-put-ing

the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.

cloud storage 

a model of data storage in which the digital data is stored in logical pools, the physical storage spans multiple servers (and often locations), and the physical environment is typically owned and managed by a hosting company.

There are several different cloud computing/storage and deployment models, and the universe, as enormous as it already is, continues to grow exponentially. Projecting how we will use and interact with computing in the digital age is a topic for future conversation. For now, let’s simply accept the fact that cloud computing is a whole lot more than a trend.

Primary cloud models are:

• Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet. IaaS is one of three main categories of cloud computing services, alongside Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service 
• Platform as a service (PaaS) is a category ofcloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app.
• Software as a Service(SaaS; pronounced /sæs/) is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as “on-demand software”. SaaS is typically accessed by users using a thin client via a web browser

Note: Ideashares ® utilizes the SaaS model in our evaluation and assessment analytics tools found in the Ideasphere ™

There are also numerous cloud implementation/deployment genres:

• Public: Web base access, open to and used by the public
• Private: Private host/intranet based (typically)
• Community: Accessible by a specific community
• Hybrid: A combination of two or more of the above

As with everything there are associated benefits and risks. Here are the primary benefits and risks of cloud computing/storage:

Benefits:

• Enterprise continuity
• Efficiency (depending on model and infrastructure)
• Dramatically reduced costs for:
  • Hardware
  • Facilities & storage
  • Maintenance (And associated costs)
  • Accessibility (immediate, assuming networks are available)

Risks: The Cloud Security Alliance, is an organization founded to identify, assess and mitigate the risks associated with cloud computing/storage. I highly recommend reviewing the white paper titled “The Treacherous 12” at the link below:

https://downloads.cloudsecurityalliance.org/assets/research/top-threats/Treacherous-12_Cloud-Computing_Top-Threats.pdf

Risks (partial & summarized):

• Security
  • Environmental
  • Data and information
  • Privacy
  • Accidental disclosure/prohibited access breaches
  • Public disclosure (depending on the cloud and implementation model)
• Enterprise continuity (loss of connectivity and network reliability)
• Recordation and data retention (especially when it is legally mandatory)
• Disaster recovery

The risk/reward “ratio” is largely reliant on purpose and application. For innovators, entrepreneurs, inventors or anyone with intellectual property, the ratio, in my humble opinion, is 50/50. Sometimes “old fashion” is “safe fashion.”  Maintain a journal and choose your cloud wisely.

Cloud computing/storage may be used and can be a great resource, but it is absolutely imperative to understand the environment before deciding on what and if to use.

Public disclosure of proprietary information and data can be, and usually is disastrous, which is one of the reasons the Ideashares SaaS model was developed under “Dual Anonymity” or no possibility for disclosure. We do not need to know your idea, product, enterprise or service etc. or any details therein, to be of great benefit and assistance.

As far as the classic rock connection, the Rolling Stones provided some very good advice and insight that remain relevant and solid a half century later:

 “don’t’ hang around cause two’s a crowd; on my cloud”