Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate. It has provided flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. Despite the many benefits of cloud computing to businesses, a lack of proper cost optimization strategies can lead to a quick escalation of cloud expenses, which can make the cost of running a business higher than expected. In this article, we will discuss eight practical tips to help you optimize your cloud costs and maximize your return on investment.

1. Identify Mismanaged Resources

The first step to optimizing your cloud costs is to identify mismanaged resources. These can include idle instances, storage volumes no longer needed, or unoptimized database configurations. You must audit your cloud infrastructure regularly to identify and eliminate such resources and ensure that you only pay for what you use.

2. Review Pricing and Billing Information

Apart from auditing resources, you should always be informed about the pricing and billing models of your cloud service provider. With various pricing options available, such as on-demand instances, reserved instances, and spot instances, you should know what suits your needs. Review your billing information regularly to identify areas where costs can be reduced, such as resizing or rightsizing instances to match your workload requirements.

3. Monitor Cost Anomalies

As you use the cloud, you should implement a robust cost monitoring system to detect any unusual spikes or anomalies in your cloud costs. You can simplify this by setting up alerts and notifications to stay informed about sudden increases in usage or unexpected expenses. Such a proactive approach will allow you to promptly investigate and address any cost anomalies.

4. Set a Budget

Having a budget for your cloud expenses allows tracking the actual costs against it. It allows you to ensure that your cloud spending remains within your desired limits. You should regularly review your budget and make adjustments as necessary to align with your business needs and financial goals.

5. Identify unutilized resources

There are cases where some resources can go unused despite being paid for. Therefore, you must identify and eliminate unutilized resources in your cloud environment. Unattached storage volumes or idle load balancers can contribute to unnecessary costs. Therefore, you should regularly review your resource utilization and consider using automation tools to schedule instances or storage resources for non-peak hours. Ensure you only pay for what you need when you need it.

6. Use Autoscaling to Cut Costs

Implementing autoscaling enables you to automatically adjust the number of instances based on your workload demands. With this, you can scale up during high-traffic periods and scale down during quieter periods. Furthermore, autoscaling ensures optimal resource utilization, eliminating the need to overprovision instances and reducing costs.

7. Use Savings Plans

Savings plans or reserved instances offered by your cloud service provider can benefit cost management. With these plans, you can commit to a specific usage over a set period, providing significant cost savings compared to on-demand instances. To achieve this, you must analyze your workload patterns and determine if savings plans or reserved instances align with your usage to optimize costs.

6. Use Heat Maps to Understand System Activity

Visualizations are a great way of understanding usage and system activity. With heat maps or visualizations, you can gain insights into the activity and utilization patterns of your cloud infrastructure. These maps can help you identify areas of high resource consumption, allowing you to optimize your infrastructure and allocate resources more efficiently. With such an understanding of system activity, you can guide your decision-making process and help you make informed choices to reduce costs.

By implementing these tips, you can optimize your cloud costs and ensure you get the most value from your cloud investment. If you can carefully plan and continuously optimize your cloud, you can strike the right balance between performance and cost savings in your cloud environment.

Companies that migrate workloads to cloud service providers (CSPs) expect to enjoy multiple benefits. The major advantages of cloud computing are flexibility, scalability, access to advanced technology, and a reduction of capital hardware expenditures. Organizations use these benefits to address business objectives and remain competitive with their rivals.

In some cases, companies find that their monthly cloud bills are larger than anticipated. While they may be satisfied with the operational advantages of the cloud, most organizations would like to trim their costs while maintaining a high level of functionality. Fortunately, there are some tactics they can use to control the costs of cloud computing.  

Tips to Control Cloud Costs  

The following tips can help an organization save a considerable amount on its monthly cloud bill. Not all are appropriate for every company, but at least some of these methods should be available to any organization using cloud computing.  

Practice capacity planning 

Companies need to engage in effective capacity planning when considering cloud migration. They need to ensure they have enough capacity to address traffic fluctuations without spending unnecessarily on idle resources. The unique requirements of an organization need to be addressed when contracting for cloud instances. A company should have a good idea of the amount of resources it will consume before beginning negotiations with a cloud provider. 

Effectively manage cloud resources

Related to the capacity planning done before moving to the cloud is the effective management of computing resources after the move is complete. Teams can easily provision new virtual machines to facilitate testing and development. They may be forgotten when their usefulness is done and continue to incur charges from the vendor even when idle.  

Similar issues may be faced with software licenses. Companies need to remain vigilant and verify they are using the resources and licenses they pay for every month. 

Select the right storage solutions

All major CSPs offer multiple storage tiers that address a company’s varying data access needs. More expensive options make information accessible on-demand when necessary while economical alternatives are available for long-term archiving of little-used data. Companies should evaluate their needs carefully and select a mix of cloud storage tiers that address requirements while controlling costs. 

Use reserved instances intelligently

The flexibility that attracts many organizations to the cloud comes with a price. There are less expensive alternatives to on-demand computing and storage solutions. Major CSPs offer reserved instances that offer substantial discounts to companies that can make a long-term commitment when signing a contract.  

When reserved instances fit with business objectives, they can offer a path to significant cost reductions. A potential issue with reserved instances is that companies may be locked into paying for excessive resources if requirements change. Taking an intelligent approach with reserved instances can save money while still enabling fluctuating requirements to be addressed effectively.  

Control cloud sprawl

It’s easy for employees to contribute to cloud sprawl by using unapproved solutions offered by a CSP. In addition to the potential security vulnerabilities associated with this practice, the costs of these cloud resources are reflected in bigger bills than expected. Effective management should incorporate regular verifications of cloud bills to identify services that have been obtained outside of corporate approval channels so they can be eliminated.  

Taking the measures discussed above can help companies control cloud computing costs. As an organization’s objectives or requirements evolve, they should regularly revisit these items to ensure they optimize their cloud spending.

Companies usually embark on a cloud migration to achieve the advertised advantages of the cloud. They expect to reduce costs, increase flexibly, scale easily to address fluctuating business requirements, and enhance their security posture. In many cases, organizations do wind up enjoying these benefits and are better positioned to operate effectively with cloud computing.

Unfortunately, not all organizations have a successful cloud migration story to tell. Some companies never achieve the benefits they expect. In some cases, they are forced to abandon the idea and move migrated workloads back to an on-premises data center.  

Common Reasons Cloud Migrations Can Fail 

While the majority of cloud migrations successfully address an organization’s business needs, there are a variety of reasons that can hinder the move. The following problems are the cause of most failed cloud migrations. 

No clear business objectives

Before considering a cloud migration, an organization should have well-defined business objectives they hope to address with the move. It may be tempting to jump on the cloud bandwagon with the expectations of saving money and becoming more agile and flexible. Without clear business objectives, companies will be challenged in selecting the right cloud services or offerings. 

Employing the wrong migration model

In the planning stages of a migration, choices need to be made regarding the migration model that will be employed for the workloads that will be migrated. Multiple migration models are available and are suitable for different workloads and situations. Companies can employ more than one model if they are moving more than one workload. 

An example is an organization that chooses to rehost an on-premises application to the cloud. A better option that would provide more immediate benefits may have been to retire the current application in favor of a cloud-based SaaS solution. In some cases, an application may not be suitable for the cloud and should remain in an on-premises data center. 

Insufficient internal cloud skills

Cloud computing requires a different skill set than that required to provide on-premises support. A lack of internal cloud skills can force an organization to rely too heavily on its provider for guidance and technical support. Cloud computing operates with a shared security responsibility matrix that requires the customer to handle a portion of cybersecurity activities. Without the proper skills, a company can expose itself to threat actors by implementing ineffective security measures.  

Moving too quickly

A methodical approach to cloud migration is recommended to increase the probability of success. Workloads should be prioritized according to the ease with which they can be migrated and their importance to the business. It’s wise to start with a small application before moving on to business-critical systems. Migrating many systems at once presents challenges that can be easily avoided with a systemic strategy. 

Lack of efficient management 

Once workloads have been successfully migrated to the cloud, the platform needs to be monitored and managed efficiently to obtain the anticipated benefits. A lack of management can result in over-provisioned storage or compute resources that cost more than they should. Inferior management can also lead to shadow IT with employees using unapproved cloud services that increase costs. 

Avoiding these pitfalls gives an organization a much better chance of successfully migrating to the cloud and achieving the benefits they expect. With proper planning and forethought, the cloud will provide a company with many advantages over its onsite environment. 

In today's digital era, migrating to the cloud has become an inevitable step for businesses seeking to remain competitive and agile. However, migrating to the cloud requires a comprehensive strategy to ensure a smooth and successful transition. With so many options and variables to consider, it can be a daunting task for companies to effectively migrate to the cloud. This blog will explore some strategic approaches that businesses can use to effectively migrate to the cloud, taking into consideration different factors such as cost, security, and scalability. By following these strategies, businesses can streamline their cloud migration process and begin to realize the benefits of cloud computing.

Understanding the complexity of migrating applications

Migrating applications to the cloud can be a complex process that requires careful planning. The level of complexity varies depending on the existing architecture and licensing arrangements. It is important for organizations to understand the spectrum of complexity of the universe of applications they want to migrate, from virtualized service-oriented to monolithic mainframe. Starting with low-complexity applications can provide immediate positive reinforcement and quick wins. The organization can create a migration plan subject to change as they progress and learn through the process.

Importance of a migration plan

It is important for businesses to have a clear migration plan before transitioning to the cloud. This plan should evaluate the current infrastructure and gather machine data to assess the scale of the transformation and ensure a successful migration. Without a thorough plan in place, organizations may face challenges such as lack of strategy, cost management, vendor lock-in, and data security and compliance. A migration plan helps to mitigate risks and ensure a smooth transition to the cloud with clearly defined goals and expected outcomes.

Common challenges in cloud migration

Cloud migration can bring various challenges, with financial costs being a significant obstacle. The investment required to migrate to the cloud can be significant, including hiring people, investing in tools and training users. Other challenges include adoption resistance, performance issues, and bandwidth costs. Unmanaged human resistance increases the likelihood of failure. Insufficient planning is also common. Nearly half of IT-driven organizations are battling cloud migration challenges, but careful evaluation, planning and change management can overcome these obstacles.

Retiring and getting rid of unnecessary applications

Organizations often accumulate a lot of unnecessary applications and data over time, which can lead to increased costs and complexity. One of the benefits of cloud migration is the opportunity to retire and get rid of these unnecessary elements. By evaluating which applications and data are truly necessary in a cloud environment, organizations can streamline their infrastructure and reduce costs. It also allows for a more efficient use of resources and better focus on the core business needs.

Main benefits of migrating to the cloud

Migrating to the cloud offers many benefits for businesses. It can help modernize their current IT base, increase business agility, improve security, and prepare for the future. Moving to the cloud can also lower infrastructure costs and provide disaster recovery solutions. As more data is expected to move to the cloud in the coming years, businesses can take advantage of these benefits to stay competitive and improve their operations.[11][12]

Since it first came into light in the early 2000s, cloud computing has made huge strides in the right direction. With the increase in the use of mobile devices and the need for more flexible and scalable computing resources, businesses are fast seeing the importance of the cloud as an essential part of IT infrastructure. As we move into 2023, here are some of the latest trends and developments in the cloud computing industry that you need to know.

1. Multi-cloud and Hybrid Cloud Solutions

Multi-cloud and hybrid solutions are among the top trends in the cloud computing industry. While multi-cloud solutions involve multiple cloud service providers, hybrid cloud involves both public and private cloud environments. The primary benefit of these solutions is that they allow businesses to choose the right cloud provider for each workload and application. This ensures they get the best performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness for each.

2. Edge Computing

Edge computing is another trend gaining momentum in the cloud computing industry. Edge computing is a distributed computing model that brings the computing power closer to the end-users. This reduces latency and improves performance. It involves processing data at or near the edge of the network instead of a centralized data center. This is particularly useful for applications that require real-time data processing, such as IoT devices, autonomous vehicles, and video streaming services.

3. AI and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are driving the latest developments in cloud computing. These technologies require significant computing power and data processing capabilities, which cloud providers can provide. With the popularity of cloud-based AI and ML solutions, businesses leverage these technologies without investing in expensive hardware and software.

4. Serverless Computing

Serverless computing is a new cloud computing model that has been gaining popularity in recent years. With this model, developers can write and deploy code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. It allows the cloud provider to manage the infrastructure and automatically scale resources based on demand. This makes it easier for businesses to build and deploy applications quickly and cost-effectively.

5. Cloud Security

In the internet age, security remains a growing concern for businesses, as more and more data is being stored in the cloud. As cyber-attacks continue rising, cloud providers respond to this concern by investing in new security technologies and services. These technologies and services include advanced threat detection, encryption, and access control. Many cloud providers also offer compliance certifications and audits to ensure their services meet industry standards and regulations.

6. Containerization

This is another trend that is changing the building and deployment of applications in the cloud. Containers are a lightweight and portable way of packaging applications and their dependencies. Containerization makes moving applications between different cloud environments easier and reduces the risks caused by compatibility issues. Many cloud providers, like Kubernetes, offer container services to help businesses manage and orchestrate their containerized applications.

7. Serverless Database Solutions

Like serverless computing, serverless databases have become increasingly popular in cloud computing. They allow businesses to store and manage their data without concern about the underlying infrastructure. With these database solutions, the cloud provider manages the database and automatically scales resources based on demand. This allows businesses to manage their data and reduce costs, as they only pay for the resources they use.

In conclusion, new trends and developments will always emerge as the cloud computing industry continues evolving rapidly. However, by staying up-to-date with these trends, businesses can make the most of their cloud infrastructure and stay ahead of the competition.

Ensuring compliance in the cloud can be a daunting task for many that need a balance between the data security needs and the benefits of cloud computing. The cloud provides businesses with a flexible, scalable, cost-effective infrastructure to store, process, and manage their data. However, it also presents new security challenges and regulatory requirements that organizations must meet. Here are some ways to ensure compliance in the cloud within your organization.

1. Identify relevant regulations and standards

Before you can think of anything else, identify the relevant regulations and standards that apply to your organization and ensure compliance in the cloud. Since the regulations vary from one industry to the other as well as regions, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) in the financial industry, find out the ones that apply to your industry or region. You must understand these regulations and standards and ensure that your cloud environment is configured to meet these requirements.

2. Conduct a security risk assessment

Carry out a risk assessment to identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities in your organization’s cloud environment. The assessment should include a review of the security controls, data access controls and incident response procedures. Based on the results you get from the risk assessment, you should develop a security plan to mitigate potential threats and protect sensitive data.

3. Encrypt

Malicious people are always looking for ways to access sensitive data, and encryption might be one of the right tools to protect it in the cloud. Encrypt all data at rest and in transit to prevent unauthorized access or theft. Consider using encrypted virtual private networks (VPNs) to secure communications between cloud services and clients.

4. Use multi-factor authentication

The first step in securing your cloud data is limiting access. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to user accounts by requiring users to provide two or more forms of authentication, such as a password and a security token. You should enable multi-factor authentication for all cloud services to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

5. Conduct regular security audits

Regular security audits are important in ensuring that your cloud environment remains compliant with regulations and standards. The audits should include a review of security controls, data access controls and incident response procedures. Based on the audit results, organizations should update their security plan and make any necessary changes to their cloud environment.

6. Choose a reliable cloud provider

Cloud providers are not the same, so you should choose the one that suits most, if not all, your needs. The safety and accessibility of your organization’s data in the cloud depend largely on the reliability and security of the cloud provider. Carefully evaluate potential cloud providers and choose one with a strong track record of security and data protection. Organizations should also review the provider’s security policies and procedures and the measures they take to prevent data breaches.

7. Establish data backup and disaster recovery procedures

No one wants to lose their sensitive data when a disaster strikes. Therefore, you should establish a data backup and disaster recovery plan or procedures to ensure that your data is always protected in the event of a data breach or disaster. These procedures should include regular backups of all data stored in the cloud and a plan for restoring data in the event of an emergency.

8. Train your employees

Employees play a critical role in ensuring compliance in the cloud. Companies must train employees regularly on the importance of data security and the measures they should take to protect sensitive data. Train your staff on the relevant regulations and standards and the consequences of non-compliance.

As more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud, it is important to consider the security implications of this transition. While cloud computing can offer significant benefits in terms of cost, scalability, and flexibility, it is essential to follow best practices to ensure the security of your data and systems. This article will explore some key considerations for cloud security and provide tips for keeping your organization's data safe in the cloud.

1. Choose the right cloud service provider

Among the first steps in ensuring cloud security is looking for a reputable and trustworthy cloud service provider. Look for providers that have a track record of providing secure and reliable services and that are compliant with industry standards such as SOC 2 and PCI DSS. It is also a good idea to review the provider's security policies and procedures to ensure they align with your organization's security needs.

2. Secure access to the cloud

Once you have selected a cloud service provider, it is important to ensure that access to the cloud is secure. This includes implementing strong authentication methods such as multi-factor authentication and regularly updating passwords. It is also a good idea to use secure protocols such as SSL/TLS for data transmission and to enable encryption for data at rest.

3. Manage user access privileges

Effective access management is key to ensuring the security of your cloud environment. It is important to carefully control who has access to your cloud resources and to assign access privileges on a least privilege basis. This means giving users only the access they need to perform their job duties rather than granting them blanket access to all resources. It's also a good idea to regularly review access privileges to ensure they are still appropriate.

4. Monitor privileged users

In addition to managing access privileges, it is important to monitor the activity of privileged users, such as administrators, to ensure that they are not misusing their access. This can include implementing tools to monitor and log user activity, as well as conducting regular audits to identify any potential issues.

5. Encrypt your data

Encrypting data is an important security measure to protect against unauthorized access to sensitive information. It is a good idea to encrypt both data in transit and data at rest in your cloud environment. This can include implementing encryption for data stored in the cloud as well as for data transmitted between the cloud and other systems.

6. Protect user endpoints

User endpoints, such as laptops and smartphones, can be vulnerable to attacks, so it is important to implement measures to protect them. This can include installing antivirus software and keeping it up to date, implementing strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication. It is also a good idea to educate employees about best practices for protecting their devices and having a process for responding to security incidents.

7. Educate your employees

Your employees are a key line of defence against security threats, so it is important to educate them about best practices for protecting your organization's data. This can include training on topics such as strong passwords, phishing attacks, and secure browsing habits. It is also a good idea to establish policies and procedures for employees to follow in the event of a security incident.

8. Maintain logs and monitor

Maintaining logs and monitoring your cloud environment can help you identify and respond to potential security issues in a timely manner. This can include implementing tools to monitor suspicious activity and regularly reviewing logs to identify any potential issues.

In a nutshell, cloud security is an important consideration for any organization that is moving operations to the cloud. By following best practices such as choosing a reputable cloud service provider, securing access, managing user access privileges, monitoring privileged users, encrypting data, protecting user endpoints, educating employees, and maintaining logs as well as performing regular monitoring, you will get the best off the cloud and improve operations.

Moving your storage from on-premise to the cloud can be a challenging undertaking. It involves many demanding activities, from choosing a provider that meets your requirements to finding the best migration options and the right backend architecture. All these can feel overwhelming, mainly if you do not have the right help. However, with the right planning and research, it does not have to be painful. Rather, you can take it as a learning process, whether you are migrating from one provider to another or getting started. The best thing is to follow the right steps and processes. Here are three decision-making processes that might be helpful in your cloud migration journey.

1. Consider your goals

Ask yourself why you want to move from on-premise or one cloud to another. What are your long and short-term goals for migrating? Are you building a complex application? What are your future growth plans? As you answer these questions, document what you need to achieve these goals. Highlight things that are essential for a provider to have and other considerations that are important to you. Consider things like storage, bandwidth and other additional requirements such as data security necessary for your business. Think of what you might need in future and ensure you consult your provider every step of the way.  

You will understand your cloud requirements by outlining what you need for your operations and the demands associated with your goals. Furthermore, you will be able to understand the differences between providers. Compare offerings, SLAs and services in greater detail.

2. Consider resources

Human and other resources are crucial for your migration to the cloud. Ask yourself if you have the right team, adequate financial resources and infrastructure to support your migration. Furthermore, ask yourself how much time you want to spend managing the infrastructure and whether the cloud service provider has the right options and resources for teams of any size or experience. Consider the complexity of pricing models. These models can be complex. If you are concerned with the cost, find a provider with simple, affordable and predictable pricing. This ensures you do not get a surprise bill, especially at the beginning of your journey.

Keep your long-term and short-term goals in mind as you start the configuration process. This will help you know what you need and the future configurations. Furthermore, knowing your available finances allows you to choose what must be in the cloud and what should not.

3. Join a community

Successful migration to the cloud should not be the end of everything. Rather, it is just the beginning of engagement with others using cloud platforms. The right place to ensure you are engaged is by joining a community. There is a huge developer community that is not only inclusive but also supportive. Joining such a community will answer most of your questions because others have encountered the concerns, worries and questions you may be having. You will meet individuals from all over the world and collaborate with them in sharing knowledge and other projects.

As you join the cloud computing world, become part of different communities. Furthermore, make use of resources such as online tutorials offered by developers meant to enhance your experience with the cloud. Select a cloud computing provider with an excellent support team and one that can answer your questions faster. Select a provider who goes the extra mile to ensure you are satisfied whenever you ask a question or when you are concerned. Being part of events such as seminars and conferences is also good for your journey in adopting cloud computing because it enhances your knowledge.

Utah uses the cloud to track wildlife, reports GCN.

Ever wonder how to get elk to stop trespassing on private lands? Using a cloud-based tool to track the animals’ movement, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) solved the problem.

Read the Article GCN

Google wants to have supercomputers in the cloud, reports Extreme Tech.

The entire technology sphere is currently obsessed with generative AI. So, it's no shock that Google spent the bulk of the keynote talking about all the ways it will cram AI into its products. 

Read the article Extreme Tech

According to Yahoo Finance, cloud fees keep users from switching. 

Complaints about how cloud service providers try to prevent customers from switching to rivals were the focus of a virtual workshop convened by the US Federal Trade Commission on Thursday

Read the article Yahoo Finance

According to C4ISRNET, the US Air Force is shunting many applications to the cloud. 

The U.S. Department of the Air Force expects to move hundreds of applications to the cloud this year, according to Venice Goodwine, the director of enterprise information technology.

Read the Article C4ISRNET

Cloud computing offers many benefits to organizations of all sizes. The flexibility and scalability of cloud solutions make them an excellent choice for companies with fluctuating or seasonal business requirements. Cloud service providers (CSPs) make cutting-edge technology available to customers without the capital costs associated with purchasing and maintaining hardware and software.

 The wide variety of offerings available in the portfolios of CSPs can be difficult to navigate efficiently. Many companies need assistance in using cloud resources effectively to address business objectives. Fortunately, they can get the help they need by partnering with a managed service provider (MSP).

Benefits of Engaging a Managed Service Provider 

A managed service provider is a third party that assumes responsibility for managing part or all of an organization’s IT infrastructure, applications, and systems. MSPs are often engaged by small and medium-sized businesses that do not have the time or personnel to manage their IT environment.  

Following are some of the most beneficial aspects of working with an experienced cloud computing MSP.  

• Selecting the appropriate cloud solutions - An MSP can help a company identify the cloud services and solutions that best fit the needs of the business. The MSP may suggest specific SaaS solutions to refresh the company’s technical capabilities. An MSP that has diverse experience with multiple cloud service providers (CSPs) will be able to guide a company toward the most effective solutions. 

• Addressing gaps in technical skills - Companies can leverage the technical skills and resources of an MSP to fill gaps that may be affecting their ability to get the maximum value from a cloud computing investment. The skills available from an MSP enable companies to implement advanced technological solutions for which they have insufficient technical personnel.  

• Controlling cloud computing costs - A major selling point promoted by CSPs is the savings available from cloud computing solutions. While substantial savings are indeed possible, inexperience or mismanagement can result in companies paying more than necessary for cloud services. Additional expenses for unnecessary capacity or services can quickly negate any of the financial benefits of the cloud. An experienced MSP will be able to help find the most cost-effective methods of using the cloud and help maximize an organization’s IT budget.  

• Facilitating cloud migrations - Organizations may understand the advantages of migrating on-premises systems to the cloud but be apprehensive about actually making the move. Migration can be a challenging and intimidating experience. An experienced MSP can help guide a company through potential difficulties and be instrumental in supporting a successful migration. 

• Managing cloud resources - A company’s cloud resources need to be efficiently managed to ensure performance, availability, and to minimize extraneous costs. Scalability comes at a price, and it is easy for an organization to end up using more capacity than they need for the business. An MSP has the experience to manage the environment so that all business objectives are met without incurring unnecessary costs. 

Working with an MSP enables a company to focus on running its business without worrying about its cloud computing environment. Engaging an experienced and reliable MSP is an excellent way for smaller companies to get the most value from their IT investment and compete more effectively with larger rivals. 

Penetration testing, commonly known as pen testing, is a form of security testing in which the testers adopt the tactics of cybercriminals to attack a specific application, system, or network. The purpose of a pen test is to defeat existing security measures and identify vulnerabilities. Testers often search for combinations of vulnerabilities that, when used together, pose a greater threat than each individual vulnerability.

Large organizations with dedicated security teams typically have pen testing groups that methodically address their infrastructure components and applications. Smaller companies don’t always have that luxury.  A lack of testing can put their environment at risk from sophisticated cyberthreats. 

Penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) enables organizations of any size to reap the benefits of targeted vulnerability assessments. While it is similar to traditional pen testing, PTaaS exhibits some differences that may make it even more valuable for improving cybersecurity.  

What is Pen Testing as a Service? 

PTaaS is a cloud service in which IT professionals are provided with the resources necessary to perform continuous penetration tests and act upon their results to reduce security vulnerabilities. The objective of PTaaS is for companies to develop vulnerability management programs to identify, prioritize, and remediate cyberthreats before they can impact their environment.  

PTaaS provides organizations with a flexible and agile method of performing on-demand pen testing. A PTaaS offering enables customers to leverage the skill of the provider’s pen testers to discover security vulnerabilities that pose risks to the infrastructure and data resources. 

Customers typically can follow the progress of tests and view their results through a centralized dashboard. For comparison, data can be displayed before, during, and after a test. Vendors usually supply resources to assist in identifying vulnerabilities and determining effective remediations. This includes a knowledge base to assist in-house testers in remediating identified vulnerabilities and may also provide assistance from the individuals who performed the tests. 

Benefits of Pen Testing as a Service 

Multiple benefits are possible when using a PTaaS solution. 

• Accelerated testing results and remediation - Traditional pen testing methods provided vulnerability assessments at the conclusion of the testing period. A PTaaS solution provides real-time access to testing data so vulnerabilities can be addressed promptly. Data related to a vulnerability can be monitored over time to evaluate remediation results.  

• Flexible purchasing options - Vendors offer manual, automated, and hybrid PTaaS solutions that can be purchased through subscriptions or as on-demand services.  

• Comprehensive reporting - The reporting capabilities of PTaaS solutions consolidate findings from multiple sources and can be tailored to meet organizational needs such as demonstrating compliance with regulations such as PCI-DSS.  

Challenges of Employing a PTaaS Solution 

Companies looking to use a PTaaS solution need to be aware of a few of its limitations and challenges. 

• It may not be suitable for complex environments that require extensive expertise regarding specific domain technology. 
• The solution may offer limited customization options that do not align with the testing requirements of specific systems. 
• The ability to run additional testing cycles can identify new vulnerabilities before the previously found issues have been successfully addressed, putting more strain on security teams. 

Multiple vendors such as NetSPI and BreachLock offer PTaaS solutions that may be right for your business. Companies should take a close look at what PTaaS has to offer. PTaaS is another tool to be deployed in the never-ending attempt to maintain a secure IT environment.

The major cloud service providers (CSPs) are continuously looking for innovative services and products to add to their portfolio of offerings. They are also constantly on the lookout for ways to trim their budgets, improve performance, and optimize resource utilization. 

One of the directions they are looking is straight up with a variety of offerings that address the growth of space-based, commercial enterprises and satellite technology. Let’s look at some of the ways two CSPs are planning to leverage the opportunities of the final frontier.

Azure Space 

Azure Space combines the possibilities of space with the power of cloud computing. The platform includes several distinct products that employ space infrastructure to extend Azure capabilities and help space-based companies process satellite data efficiently.  

Following are two of the offerings from Azure Space. 

Azure Orbital Ground Station 

The Ground Station provides low-latency connectivity to extend communication coverage between a company’s satellites and the Azure Cloud. The features of Azure Orbital Ground Station let customers: 

• Operate faster by employing a global network of antennas that scale to address satellite fleet growth;
• Streamline satellite management using Azure cloud services and ground stations;
• Make use of secure and resilient ground stations for satellite communication;
• Control costs by only paying for bandwidth that is consumed on-demand. 

Azure Orbital Analytics 

This service enables customers to downlink space-borne data from multiple sources and store it in Azure Data Platform components. The raw data can then be converted into analysis-ready data using the Azure Orbital Analytics processing pipeline. Integrations with Microsoft tools and partner AI models allow customers to derive insights from satellite imagery and use them productively with Microsoft Teams or open source tools. This platform serves as the path between Microsoft customers and satellite operators.  

AWS in Space 

Amazon is working on multiple space-based solutions for its customers as well as experimenting with new ways to provide its services via satellites. The following are two examples of the innovative use of space technology by AWS. 

AWS Ground Station

AWS Sound Station provides real-time processing of data using a global network of antennas that enable communication with a satellite to be established multiple times per orbit. High-resolution imagery can be refreshed more regularly for enhanced monitoring and change detection. The features of this offering include: 

• Ground station as a service which eliminates purchase and maintenance expenses;
• Premium data and physical security;
• Fast downloads and immediate data processing;
• Self-service scheduling with customers only paying for the antenna time they use. 

AWS on an orbiting satellite

In November 2022, AWS announced it has successfully run a suite of AWS software on an orbiting satellite. This innovative experiment is the first of its kind and was conducted in low Earth orbit over the previous 10 months. The company is testing a more efficient and faster way for customers to capture and analyze space data directly on AWS satellites using the cloud.  

AWS edge capabilities on an orbiting satellite allow customers to analyze raw data in orbit and only downlink the most important images for later analysis. Communication with satellites will be more efficient with operators using familiar AWS tools. 

These are just a few examples of cloud computing expanding into space. The large CSPs are driving innovation and opening the door for space data to be used more effectively to address important issues that affect business and society. 

The cloud in cloud computing is an abstract concept that does not mean that servers and storage devices are floating around, hidden in fluffy congregations of water vapor. But while the current computing environment may not incorporate those cumulus clouds floating across the sky, you might be surprised to learn that there is a lot of interest in locating servers deep in the ocean.

The terrestrial data centers that make up the cloud require an incredible amount of electricity for power and millions of gallons of water for cooling the computers and peripheral devices they house. These considerations influence where large cloud data centers are built, as they need access to sufficient energy and water resources. 

One might wonder why anyone would want to put computer servers in the ocean. But when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. The ocean provides an abundant source of renewable energy and, by its very nature, plenty of water for cooling hot equipment. Building on the ocean floor does not require rerouting water resources that might be needed for agriculture or other human endeavors. 

Microsoft has explored the concept of submerged servers since 2015 when it established Project Nantick to research the feasibility of housing data centers on the ocean floor and powering them with offshore renewable energy. The tests were conducted off the coast of Orkney, Scotland at the European Marine Energy Center. 

The company followed up an initial experiment with a second phase which deployed an underwater data center four times larger than phase one with 36 times its computing power. The dimensions of the pressure vehicle containing the servers were a little over 12 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter, about the size of a 40-foot shipping container. Its electrical power consumption was 240 KW, all of which was locally produced by renewable wind, solar, tidal, and wave sources. 

Nantick Phase II consisted of 12 racks containing 864 standard Microsoft data center servers and 27.6 petabytes of disk space. It has the computing power of a combined several thousand consumer PCs and storage space for around five million movies.  

The second phase of project Nantick concluded on July 9th, 2020. What Microsoft learned from its testing has potentially paradigm-shifting ramifications for the construction of future data centers.  

Advantages of Under Sea Data Centers 

Following are some of the advantages that Microsoft’s experiments have demonstrated. 

• Increased reliability - The use of nitrogen rather than oxygen for the vessel’s atmosphere combined with the absence of people potentially bumping into equipment led to a failure rate of 1/8 that of a land-based control group.  

• Consumer benefits - Data centers modeled after Nantick can be provisioned in 90 days. They can reduce latency by being located closer to the consumers using them. A large percentage of the world’s population lives near the coastline, making it an attractive audience for deep sea data centers. 

• Societal benefits - Renewable energy and intelligent manufacturing using recycled and recyclable materials provide a zero-emission and sustainable path for data center construction. 

Microsoft plans to use the knowledge gained from Project Nantick to improve the sustainability of its more traditional data centers. While no commercial product has yet to be announced, the future of deep sea data centers looks promising for the benefits they can provide consumers and society.