3 Biggest Cloud computing challenges while working remotely
By: Divya Tanwar
Tags: Cloud Computing, Security, Collaboration, Scalability, Work From Home

The network-pegged cloud computing services were first invented in the 1960s by Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider, but back then it became fully functional by 2006 August. The technology was initially coined for hardware virtualization, to mitigate the cumbersome in-house computing hardware and complexity of in-house networking with which the evolution further spikes the need of deploying it into the system.

The burst over cloud technologies with powerful methodologies lead enterprises to its massive adoption at an unpredictable rate but it has predicted that the cloud computing market is expected to reach $623.3 by 2023 and the industry will grow at a CAGR of 18%. Billions of dollars budget are being spent by research and development every year on these technologies to successfully deploy them for end-users but while keeping a hold on it, new challenges and issues lead by COVID-19 have emerged along with it that keeps traumatizing thought-leaders with a certain apprehension of “How to stay normal in the era of New Normal”.

Although COVID-19 has also become the major driving force in its surged demand all over the world with organizations ramping up on cloud technologies in a way to leverage the most out of it before they find themselves out of fad. The challenge here is not to just adopt the change but also to adopt it as fast as possible otherwise there might be chances that we may lose our customers while praising the competitors.

At its core, challenges like security to data exposures, scaling and deploying remote workforce and their expansion to remote technologies, to deploy efficient and cost-effective IT-infrastructures, all need to be capitalized at the current scenario.

Let’s have a look at some of the biggest cloud computing challenges while working remotely-

1. Security to data exposures

We understand that remote work brings new challenges ahead for all of us with 93% of those recently surveyed showed more responsibilities because of COVID-19 and with the increasing 83% of phishing attacks and cyber crimes that took place over the past year that also keeps shooting up day by day along with it.

Having a united remote work infrastructure in place in an agile manner is not everyone’s piece of cake, but after covid, it also seems inevitable to stay on grounds without deploying a remote working program into the system.

Challenges like keeping data safe while mobilizing it on multiple personal devices with the help of robust VPNs and VDIs so that employees could able to work remotely and can comply with the company data policies at the same time.

Technologies like geo-fencing and ticket systems, asset monitoring can also help them track and monitor resources virtually for secure and adequate asset utilization.

Let’s have a deep look at some major security challenges lead by the shift of remote working for an organization to deploy and implement a system for their workers that can not only allow them to work efficiently but securely as well-

Challenges with the new phase of BYOD

While everyone is working on their personal devices without an improper system like VPNs and Mobile device management(MDM), employees have the freedom to use and mix up the resources in the way they want along with personal Wi-Fi networks.

Although for organizations without devise technology, the new avenue is quite considerable, but for those who pose a legacy in their system, it is a matter of concern to summon the right approach at the right time. Much better for them, considering desktop as a service(DAAS) and effective implementation of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) can help businesses to control and manage their rights all over the globe.

Prevent sensitive data leakage

Challenges breed even more challenges until we don’t get ourselves to its ideal approach, with the limited network visibility and unprotected runtime environment, enterprises often leave the whole ball game in the hands of malicious players who can easily prey on data and infiltrate its path along the way. Technologies like data loss prevention (DLP) can prevent the risk of similar data exposures while empowering organizations to monitor data handling in a much more secure and effective way and keeping all those securities threats at bay.

Educating and providing guidance about cloud security

Organizations need to consider a two-way approach by educating all their employees working cross-borders about potential threats that can infiltrate their systems and can be a wreak-havoc for all their efforts.

Study shows that around 52% of employees cited the major reason for cloud security threats is its reactive nature where employees hardly get to know about a potential threat at the right time or when it’s actually preying on the systems besides realizing the same when it gets too late to look upon.

In order to implement the right tools and techniques to harbor a secure remote infrastructure in place, there is a need to train and educate folks on how, where, and when to use resources and empowering them along with it so they can able to perform the right action at the right time to compromise security threats and be liable for building a secure and safe community.

2. Scalability

Technologies like VPNs are walked away when the pandemic pave its way for the need of deploying remote working program in an agile manner, with organizations ramping on virtual devices and get them connected to a common source of the data center, scalability gets overwhelmed often in cases when the amount of traffic and its behaviors change over remote connections with the available bandwidths plus adding remote workers and expansion of current infrastructure is also expensive and onerous, it is even more challenging for small-business where cash outflow outweighs cash inflow.

At this time, businesses need to come up with a system that empowers employees with their personal devices only and gives them enough pace to work from anywhere with a solution that centers more around end-user computing technologies.

3. Communication and collaboration

Juggling around different platforms for communications and getting constant alerts and notifications over multiple devices can hamper productivity while keeping a hold on seamless collaboration among different teams stretched across different regions, thus it is crucial to deploy the right communication tools that let supervisors streamline their workforce across a common platform by automating task like monitoring, giving approvals and checking performance so they can focus on other decision-making processes for a healthy digital transformation.