Why Using a Public Cloud for IDP is More Secure than You Think

Some organizations are wary of using a public cloud for IDP, but cloud-based solutions have become safe places to store confidential and sensitive data thanks to technological advances.

It may seem wise to keep intelligent document processing (IDP) workflows strictly within on-premises networks for security purposes. However, advances in cloud technology and the solution’s improved ability to handle sensitive materials may make the benefits of cloud storage too attractive to pass up.

Cloud-based solutions offer infinite computing power, scalability, and storage alongside user-friendly interfaces and designs. For these reasons and more, enterprises use an average of 80 third-party cloud applications to communicate across an organization, manage contracts, and develop and run business applications. 

In 2020, 76% of enterprises used Amazon Web Services (AWS) in their applications, and 63% ran their applications on Microsoft Azure, including those responsible for processing and storing HIPAA, confidential, and sensitive data.

Cloud-based storage systems in everyday life

While cloud-based storage systems were once few and far between, they’re now commonplace in our everyday lives. Netflix, Dropbox, and even the images loaded into your company’s website are likely stored in AWS or similar architectures. 

Plus, companies with multiple locations and external partners have relied on cloud-based computing for years. Mostly because on-premises solutions aren’t as flexible and can be expensive due to upfront hardware and software license costs, hardware replacements, and maintenance fees. 

Companies with sensitive documents, however, have begun to utilize cloud technology in at least some aspects of their workflows due to the pandemic.

When the world abruptly shut down in 2020, millions of employers were left scrambling to find solutions that allowed their workers to work productively from home. Many companies rushed to adopt cloud-based storage solutions. 

According to a McAfee survey, Zoom usage increased by 350%, Slack usage by 200%, Cisco WebEx usage by 600%, and Microsoft Teams usage by 300% by May 2020.

However, in their hurry to shift to cloud-based systems, companies neglected to consider cloud-first security solutions. They also often improperly configured their third-party cloud environment or didn’t develop a security strategy, opening the doors for data breaches and leaks. 

For example, many people used the same credentials across several cloud services, which led to a rise in credential-stuffing attacks. IT teams also failed to protect storage buckets in the cloud, coordinate identity and access programs, or apply secure developer practices, leading to data leaks and breaches.

The security and privacy capabilities of modern cloud-based systems

The good news is that modern cloud-based systems offer advanced security and privacy capabilities — as long as companies properly configure and manage them. Data stored in the cloud is more secure than ever due to edgeless cloud computing, data redundant systems, and other advances. 

Plus, if a breach or failure occurs, it will be easier to recover data thanks to several layers of secured backup storage.

Thanks to new hardware security features, confidential computing allows companies to store, analyze, and share their data in the cloud without compromising privacy or security. This is because confidential computing isolates workloads from the cloud provider. 

For example, Edgeless Systems’ co-founder and CEO shares that Intel’s SGX in-server CPUs enable companies to keep workloads encrypted at runtime and cryptographically verify workloads’ integrity. Now, companies can create confidential Kubernetes environments in major public clouds in minutes.

It’s also worth noting that modern cloud-based systems go beyond securing data in transit or at rest. They can also protect data in the midst of being processed, so you can rest easy when moving HIPAA documents or other sensitive and confidential data to the cloud.

In-house vs. cloud-based IDP storage systems

Many assume that data in the cloud is automatically not secure because it isn’t in their data center, but most modern cloud-based IDP storage systems have better security capabilities than their on-premises counterparts. 

It may seem counterintuitive, but security companies have funneled more funds into researching and developing cloud-based systems than on-premises systems in the last few years.

Plus, the pandemic exposed security problems with on-premises systems. For example, workers couldn’t fix issues like equipment failure from home, meaning many organizations’ data was at risk for an extended period. On the other hand, using a cloud-based solution gives you on-demand access to quality security systems, no matter where you are.

Cloud-based IDP storage systems also offer infinite computing power and storage, making it easier and less expensive to scale up and down as your IDP demand ebbs and flows. 

Instead of investing in new facilities and server racks every time demand for document processing rises above your current capacity — or being stuck maintaining a too-large data center once it falls — you can use cloud storage and processes. 

Not only will you not need to pay for additional servers and space, but you also won’t need to run and maintain your own infrastructure when you use cloud-based IDP storage systems, so you’ll save even more money in the long run.

Cloud-based solutions provide much-needed flexibility without putting your data at risk, so it makes sense that 69% of enterprises have already moved or are in the middle of moving sensitive data to the cloud.

The public cloud is the future

While some companies still prefer on-premises or hybrid solutions because they retain more control over their data, more and more companies are switching to cloud-based systems — and with good reason. 

IDP and cloud computing have advanced over the last few years and have gotten much better at recognizing sensitive materials and keeping them secure. Cloud-based solutions are increasingly more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective than on-premise solutions, so it should come as no surprise that even the most hesitant companies started using cloud-based solutions and saw success during the pandemic.

At Rossum, our cloud-based IDP solution is more than capable of protecting and storing any sensitive or confidential documents on the cloud. We are ISO27001 certified and offer HIPAA compliance, so you can count on our cloud deployment. We have also earned SOC 2 Type II certification.

Contact us today to learn more about how Rossum’s IDP solutions can integrate with your existing infrastructure or receive a demonstration.