The complexity of cloud hosted infrastructure can make migration and configuration quite overwhelming, which, as will be pointed out, highlights the importance of unifying your cloud solution. Focus has to be balanced between network reliability, backup, scale, security, functionality, privacy compliance and more. For any I.T. team these tasks can be demanding, requiring a large amount of resources, and typically even third-party assistance. In some cases, failing to account for certain intricacies can lead to lower-quality end results. Therefore, taking advantage of support from experienced professionals is crucial to streamline cloud migration and management.

The modern work environment is constantly changing, requiring businesses to take advantage of new technology and features to achieve success. One of these recent revelations is known as cloud hosted infrastructure. So today we will be going over the pros of moving your CPA firm to the cloud. If you’re unfamiliar with what that is, or just need a quick refresher, check out our explanation of cloud hosting. 

First of all, to explain what cloud hosting is, the “cloud” refers to a network of computers interconnected to provide system resources on-demand, such as data storage and computing power. The computers, or servers, which make up the cloud reside in data centers which can be located throughout the world. Users access the cloud network using the internet, and are presented with a virtual dashboard to navigate infrastructure and to perform desired tasks. Often, when the cloud consists of a large enough volume of geographically redundant computers, tasks can be distributed between them to more efficiently use computing power.

Regardless of which service model an enterprise employs from a cloud provider, what remains prominent is that there are shared responsibilities of cloud security. The burden of maintaining secure infrastructure does not solely lie on the client or the provider, but is instead distributed between the two. Statistics Canada reports the number of police reported cyber crimes increased 164% between 2016 and 2020. Furthermore, the introduction of Bill C-26, which makes reporting cyber attacks mandatory, was in large part because many incidents were going unreported. Therefore, even though the publicly known number of cyber threats is significant, the actual number is even larger. Considering cyber attacks are increasingly becoming more common, now, more than ever, the integrity of the relationship between clients and their cloud provider is critical to success. 

Historically, the field of cybersecurity has been largely unregulated, with little to no requirements needed to be met by corporations. Recently, health centers, municipalities, universities, and other Canadian businesses and organizations have been targeted by electronic espionage and ransomware. In many instances, the attacks go unreported because the corporations fear their reputation may be damaged if word spreads that their existing security was incompetent. Often corporations decide it is in their best interest to pay the ransom fee in order to dismiss the problem, rather than to reach out for external assistance. Recently, the Government of Canada has introduced a new Canadian cybersecurity bill forcing corporations to prioritize mandatory reporting of cyber attacks and the meeting of new security standards.