Technology continues to advance and networks are everywhere. This makes life more convenient, but it also creates risks for businesses. In the past, many companies have suffered database breaches that exposed customer personal data, harming customers and severely damaging company reputation. Recent database hacking incidents involving a photo-printing company and a marketing company have increased public concern about cybersecurity and how businesses handle data.
The Hong Kong Productivity Council recently released the HKT Hong Kong Enterprise Cyber Security Readiness Index 2021. The report assessed four areas: policy and risk assessment, technology control, process control and staff awareness. Technology control performed best, while employee security awareness education and third-party risk management were the weakest areas.
Many companies use third-party software to save cost, such as human resources or accounting systems. If these tools are not used carefully, they can create business risk. Companies also need to improve staff awareness of phishing emails and fake websites, because these online traps can cause data leakage and financial loss. Neither an on-premise deployment nor a cloud deployment is inherently safer; security depends on the controls in place and who maintains them.
On-Premise Servers Need Planned Maintenance
An on-premise server runs on infrastructure managed at the company’s premises. It may connect to external networks and can use automated maintenance tools. Security depends on network access controls, configuration and ongoing maintenance.
Management and IT teams cannot predict when emergencies will happen, and internal IT teams may not always have the latest cybersecurity solutions. If a company using an on-premise server faces emergency downtime before data backup is completed, unbacked data may be lost. When a database is hacked, unbacked data may also disappear. Where backup depends on manual operation, human error can affect backup quality.
On-premise servers can automate backups, software updates and security checks. The IT team still needs to configure these processes, monitor failures and test recovery. If there is no adequate support, server uptime may be affected. If cybersecurity measures are not current, the server is more vulnerable to hackers.
Cloud Servers Share Security Responsibilities
A cloud server is an integrated platform. When the cloud host receives a request, it can distribute work to other cloud servers and resolve issues quickly. Cloud providers offer different levels of infrastructure monitoring and support. Businesses should check the service’s security controls, support coverage and division of responsibilities.
Cloud services can support stable daily operations, but businesses still need to assess whether the chosen service and configuration meet their security and availability requirements.
A cloud service can still lose data or become unavailable after an intrusion, system failure or overload. Recovery depends on the application design, protected backups and tested recovery procedures. Providers may offer encryption and automated backup features, but businesses must configure the controls they manage and verify that recovery works.
Cloud servers also reduce reliance on a single server. In the past, much information connected to one server. If that server failed, updates could not connect until repair was completed. For businesses that rely heavily on online systems, such as high-transaction websites or systems supporting many operations, downtime can damage internal operations, revenue and company image. With appropriate replication, backups and tested failover, cloud services can reduce disruption; moving to the cloud alone does not prevent outages.
Unlike on-premise servers with capacity limitations, cloud servers can increase capacity according to actual traffic, reduce load on individual servers and improve network speed. This flexibility allows cloud servers to adapt as the company grows, while supporting long-term cybersecurity and data protection needs.
Source: Hong Kong Productivity Council
Translation supported by AI.