Page 16 - Security Today, March/April 2024

To Cloud or Not to Cloud? What Effective Security Management Looks Like in 2024
By Fredrik Nilsson
The cloud is a fact of life across all IT applica- tions—and security is no exception. While most software applications today have moved to the cloud, security is a bit different. There are sig- nificant technical and budgetary challenges, par- ticularly as the increasing volume (and image quality) of secu- rity cameras in use results in an enormous amount of video data transferred and stored in the cloud.
Each of the 100 million individual cameras in the United States generates as much video data as a Netflix movie—every day. Security departments also tend to run their own infrastruc- ture—and, due to cyber concerns and historical precedent, they like to have most equipment on site.
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MARCH/APRIL 2024 | SECURITY TODAY
Photos Courtesy of Axis Communications
But the benefits of cloud apply to security as clearly as any other application: the cloud offers better manageability, improved scalability, lower maintenance costs, less on-prem equipment (like expensive servers) and increased cyber security as systems can better be kept updated.
The Cloud Approach
When it comes to the cloud, there are two approaches: single vendor end-to-end or open system. While single-vendor solu- tions may sound straightforward, customers may find themselves locked into that one vendor’s product ecosystem, confined by price increases and other inconveniences.
Sometimes vendors do not own the whole technology stack,
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