Public or Private

The popularity of cloud services is gaining popularity more than ever during the pandemic. And with it, the capability of the cloud is evolving rapidly for handling the work of industries fluently and efficiently. There are many questions that are arising for business owners and users who need cloud service. With the understanding of using a public or private cloud as the primary method of storing data and the implications that arise out of it, most of the cloud questions can be answered.

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In contrast to individual users, business users might prefer the public cloud and there exists some good reason for it. Similarly, individual users have got plenty of reasons to opt for the private cloud to store data. Let us see the difference between a public and private cloud, to understand what would be the right cloud for your business.

Public or Private Cloud: The Difference

It is really important to know what is a cloud, before understanding the types of clouds. It is simply a server that is used for uploading, storing, and maintaining data from anywhere around the world. Cloud storage is provided by a service company, so its domain of it will be with them. When you are planning to opt for a service; the cloud security of it matters the most and therefore the authority and reliability of the cloud should be checked well.

From the name of the cloud type, it is clear that a public cloud would be less secure than a private cloud. The performance of the public or private cloud is the biggest tradeoff between the two. No matter what is the form of computing, the battle between optimization and security has been there for a long time and it will always be there. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether performance or security is the goal of your business.

The Pros and Cons of Public Cloud

There are many gigantic tech companies that provide the public version of the cloud, and it includes companies like Google and Dropbox. These services are optimized and quick enough to give an experience that none of the customers can downvote for. To understand it well, let us look at some of the pros and cons of the public cloud.

Pros of Public Cloud:

  • The data gets relative security so it remains behind an enterprise-level firewall
  • The data gets physical security as well, so the businesses can have multiple lines of security that would help extensively in protecting them.
  • The service provider maintains your system during different crises, so you get rid of the responsibilities related to that.

Cons of Public Cloud:

  • The files can easily be accessed from anywhere
  • As the information can be accessed by any of the public users, so the security is a lot less and virus attacks can happen on the data
  • There are no laws established relating to the public cloud which makes the cloud riskier for giving personal data in the hands of a third party

The Pros and Cons of Private Cloud

There has been a huge spike in the use of cloud services in the last few years, but there might be some deterioration with hackers and viruses targeting the cloud storage of individuals and businesses. In recent times, viruses like ransomware and more have shown the strength of hackers and viruses. According to cybersecurity experts, there were also speculations that ransomware attacks can be expected much more on cloud storage services. That is where the private cloud market comes in useful, as it has the security that you expect from a cloud service.

Whether you are using it for your home or your business, a private cloud can guarantee the kind of high-level security that would keep your data safe. There are many experts who tell us about the different important aspects of opting for the private cloud service. Let us look at the pros and cons of the private cloud.

Pros of Private Cloud:

  • The data gets stored behind the firewall, so any kind of breach is taken care of
  • The user gets control of the data as it is not a separate entity, and with it, you can also build an infrastructure that you can easily access offline
  • The user gets the flexibility of designing the entire platform with the help of private network services
  • No relying on any third party so no issues even if the provider shuts down.

Cons of Private Cloud:

  • The workers have physical access to the private cloud, so the servers can be breached by them to access the files
  • The shutting down of the local power grid will take away access to the system

Conclusion

There is no option that we can say is better than the other, and the decision of the user depends upon the needs. If you need a cloud for your business and focus on the optimization and performance then you can benefit more from a public cloud storage option. But if you need high-level security, then opting for private storage would be the ideal choice for you. So ultimately, it is your decision which should be based on your needs.

FAQs

How is the private cloud better than the public cloud?

A private cloud is preferred for the enterprise-level data security that it provides which is not available with the public cloud.

How is the public cloud better than the private cloud?

A public cloud offers a lot of features such as self-service, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, as a whole, the performance and optimization of a public cloud are why it is preferred to the private cloud.

Which cloud service should be chosen for a business or an individual?

For a business, if the focus is on the optimization and performance of the cloud then go for the public cloud. But if your primary concern as a business owner is security then a private cloud is the option that would be helpful. But as an individual user, it is always better to opt for a private cloud.

Is the cloud safe for personal information?

There have been several high-profile attacks on cloud data in recent years, therefore the cloud providers had to step up for the security of personal data. The certifications like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC have been brought up by third parties which give the surety of the quality of handling private data.

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