Which Is More Secure and Reliable—On-Premise or Cloud Software?

 • 
September 6, 2022
Which Is More Secure and Reliable—On-Premise or Cloud Software?
Tags

No matter the industry, data security is, and always will be, paramount. Data breaches can cause significant loss of revenue and customer trust.

No doubt you remember the 2017 Equifax data breach. This breach affected 148 million records, including social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and in some cases driver's license numbers and credit card information. Equifax paid out $700 million in damages to help people affected by the data breach, and suffered through reputational damage and congressional inquiries.

To avoid a breach like that, you might be wondering, "Will my information be safer in the cloud or on-premise?"

In addition to security, you should be asking about reliability and uptime. In this article, we'll break down each of these three factors.

Download the On-Premise vs Cloud Software ebook

On-Premise Security, Reliability & Uptime

Security

With an on-premise solution, you license the software and it all resides on your premises, meaning you don't need to trust another company with your private data. Having all your data located within your in-house servers and IT infrastructure provides peace of mind.

Companies that have extra sensitive information or are in highly regulated industries, such as government and banking, require the level of security and privacy that an on-premise solution provides.

However, the security of a local solution is only as strong as your IT department.

Your IT team is responsible for setting security policies, as well as installing firewalls, antivirus software, and security patches. If mismanaged, on-premise servers can still be vulnerable.

Reliability & Uptime

As on-premise installations are not dependent on external systems or network connectivity, they're often considered to be more reliable. However, if your server breaks or glitches, you have a problem, and setting up a redundant system for an on-premises solution takes significant time and money.

If your systems are down, you're missing opportunities to reach customers. And while on-premise solutions don't rely on sometimes finicky internet providers, they are limited by the number of servers you have on site. If your local server isn't working properly, neither are you!

Cloud Security, Reliability & Uptime

Security

The gap between cloud vs on premise security isn't as large as it used to be. Today the largest cloud providers have robust security teams and tight procedures. You may even be able to take advantage of specialized security options that would be too expensive to implement yourself.

In addition, cloud security tends to be highly automated thanks to APIs, which can make traffic analysis and network monitoring easier and faster for your IT staff.

On the other hand, using public cloud-based services requires trusting a third-party with your most precious data and as some cloud-based security services come pre-configured, you may not have options for changes.

Depending on how heavily regulated your industry is, you must also ensure any provider you choose allows for compliance with necessary regulations.

For example, at Smarty we use a few different strategies to handle data privacy and security. Take a look at how we use active PII Redaction and Enhanced Data Privacy here.

Reliability & Uptime

Unlike on-premise servers, cloud solutions can quickly spin up new servers anytime a server fails. For most companies, it would be far too expensive to implement that much redundancy on premises. Thanks to that redundancy, your work can continue without disruption.

This also means your company is dependent on the cloud provider. If support for a product is discontinued because there's a new version, or if the cloud provider ceases operations, there's not much you can do.

In addition to reliability, uptime is a big selling point for cloud services. A cloud service that scales to meet demand can increase your uptime. More uptime means less interruption in your workflow. Cha-ching!

Pro Tip: When considering a vendor, ask them about historical uptime. That will give you a good idea of the kind of uptime you can expect if you choose to work with them. Check out Smarty's historical uptime here.

Security, reliability, and uptime are just three things to consider when choosing between an on-premise or cloud solution for your business. In our ebook, On-Premise Vs Cloud Software: The 6 Step Executive Guide, we cover many more factors, including deployment speed, compliance, and total cost of ownership.

Download the On-Premise Vs Cloud Software ebook

Download the free ebook today.

Subscribe to our blog!
Learn more about RSS feeds here.
rss feed iconSubscribe Now
Read our recent posts
Smarty Named as Data Intelligence Leader Across Address Verification and E-Commerce Categories
Arrow Icon
PROVO, Utah--Smarty, a leader in address data intelligence, today announced that it has been named an industry leader, receiving 22 awards and top honors across address verification and e-commerce tools categories in G2's Spring Report. Awards and rankings originate from customer feedback and reviews, highlighting the best software products for businesses. Smarty ranked first amongst over 50 address verification services, honored with recognition in the following areas: - Leader - Easiest To Use - Most Implementable - Easiest Admin - Best Results - Best Relationship - Best Usability - Highest User Adoption - Best Meets Requirements - Momentum Leader G2's address verification category awards are based on customer feedback and verified reviews from nearly 1,000 customers.
Go Mr. Clean on Your Databases and Reduce Risk—All With Address Verification
Arrow Icon
Your business generates data with every digital ad you run, every purchase order, every promotional mailing, and every customer survey you do. And every time one campaign wraps up, another starts. Developing a solid database cleansing and consolidation strategy can help prevent a database full of holes and information gaps. Why does database cleansing matter? Your revenue will diminish if you rely on bad data to make strategic business decisions. In our ebook, 5 Ways Companies Use Address Verification to Improve Business Results, we discuss how to use address verification software to cleanse databases and merge datasets.
Welcome to the Twilight Zone of Address Data
Arrow Icon
Picture this. You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone! Can you hear the 🎵 dee dee dee doo dee dee dee doo 🎵? That is the familiar introduction to a show that would boggle our minds and twist reality as we know it. Today, apparently, is Twilight Zone Day. Celebrate how you will. Another thing that boggles our minds and seems to twist reality as we know it is when addresses change or when they go by an alias, or when you ship something to someone's house at the exact address they told you, and it still gets returned for some reason.

The leader in location data intelligence

Ready to get started?