Navigating the cloud: Ensuring secure data management with minimal risk

In the last webinar of our 2023 Education Series, Where, exactly, is your cloud?, we were joined by Julia Bonder-Le Berre, Head of Global Privacy, and Steve Lester, Senior Corporate Counsel for Iron Mountain, to shed light on how information in the cloud can be managed with as little risk as possible and in a compliant and accessible manner.

The use of cloud services has experienced a notable surge, particularly since 2020. The transition to a more remote workforce prompted a swift acceleration in cloud adoption, with its benefits ranging from increased capacity and functionality to scalability, enhanced productivity, reduced maintenance, and potential cost savings.

Balancing benefits and risks

At its core, the cloud consists of servers distributed across data centers worldwide. Because the cloud relies on physical infrastructure that could be located anywhere, data residency requirements can significantly impact decisions about where to host data. As a result, the use of cloud services necessitates careful alignment with information and data governance programs, complemented by robust security and privacy policies. This prompts questions about data privacy, security breaches, and related issues for information and data governance professionals. It demands meticulous consideration to safeguard personal and proprietary data, whether within or outside organizational boundaries.

Research conducted by Economist Impact, sponsored by Iron Mountain, surveyed over 600 executives globally, revealing a heightened awareness of risk, with 95% stating they are more attuned to risk considerations than ever before. Outsourcing data to reputable cloud providers comes with inherent risks, but choosing the right provider should ultimately reduce these risks.

The responsibility of organizations to ensure their chosen suppliers align with privacy, data governance, and security principles becomes a crucial starting point. The process involves careful assessment of a vendor’s policies, followed by the creation of comprehensive data processing agreements that outline roles and responsibilities.