In cloud computing, the word cloud (also phrased as “the cloud”) is used as a metaphor for “the Internet,” so the phrase cloud computing means “a type of Internet-based computing,” where different services — such as servers, storage and applications — are delivered to an organization’s computers and devices through the Internet.
How Cloud Computing Works
The goal of cloud computing is to apply traditional supercomputing, or high-performance computing power, normally used by military and research facilities, to perform tens of trillions of computations per second, in consumer-oriented applications such as financial portfolios, to deliver personalized information, to provide data storage or to power large, immersive online computer games.
To do this, cloud computing uses networks of large groups of servers typically running low-cost consumer PC technology with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them. This shared IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Often, virtualization techniques are used to maximize the power of cloud computing.
What is cloud computing? It depends on who you ask. Because there are so many definitions for this buzz term, you need to be able to discern what this technology actually is and how it can best benefit your organization.
Cloud computing: How you can unleash the benefits in your business (CINTRA Best Practice Guide) (PDF 1,989KB)
There’s no single approach to the cloud. If your organization wants to take advantage of the agility and flexibility of cloud computing, then you’ll need to form the right strategies to meet your goals.
This best practices guide delves into everything cloud computing to help you understand how to start your cloud journey in a low-risk way and overcome the biggest challenges. Read on to learn about the following key topics:
- 5 reasons your business needs cloud
- What every business must do before moving to the cloud
- How to design, implement, and manage a successful cloud
- And more
Hybrid cloud gives me unparalleled agility, precisely when I need it (PDF 482KB)
Where is cloud heading?
Your guide to making the right choice for the future
In the stampede to the cloud, organisations have had two distinct
models to choose from: private or public.
Making those decisions has been something of a balancing act, with potential adopters weighing up the trade-off between budgets, security and scalability. Private clouds typically delivered enhanced security but with a price tag and scalability lag attached. On the other hand, public clouds can be much more cost-effective and, given their on-demand capabilities, deliver rapid scalability too.
Making those decisions has been something of a balancing act, with potential adopters weighing up the trade-off between budgets, security and scalability. Thankfully now, you don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket. Hybrid cloud can offer the best of both worlds.
In this white paper, learn how businesses have been able to intertwine the best of public and private cloud into a new approach called hybrid cloud. Learn what differentiates hybrid cloud and what businesses are doing to enable it in their own infrastructure.
ONLINE_Cloud Infographic (PDF 754KB)
Check out this infographic to learn about the top 5 most compelling reasons to adopt cloud. Learn about the benefits that await your business today.
Cloud Access Security Broker
A cloud access security broker (CAB) is a tool or service that sits between an organization’s on-premises infrastructure and a cloud provider’s infrastructure. A CAB acts as a gatekeeper, allowing the organization to extend the reach of their security policies beyond their own infrastructure.
CABs work by ensuring that network traffic between the cloud provider and on-premises devices and the cloud provider complies with the organization’s security policies. The value of cloud access security brokers stems from their ability to give insight into cloud application use across cloud platforms and to identity unsanctioned use. This is especially important in regulated industries.
CABs use auto-discovery to identify cloud applications in use and identify high-risk applications, high-risk users and key risk factors. Cloud access brokers may enforce a number of different security controls, including encryption and device profiling. They may also provide other services such as credential mapping when single sign-on is not available.
CABs are particularly useful in organizations with “shadow IT” operations or liberal security policies that allow operating units to procure and manage their own cloud resources. The data that CABs collect data that can be used for reasons other than security, such as monitoring cloud service usage for budgeting purposes. Vendors in the cloud access security space include SkyHigh Networks and Netskope.