Why is the cloud so critical for government agencies? Suzette Kent of the U.S. Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer sums it up nicely.
“The case for using cloud in governments has been clearly proven – to drive savings, to improve security, and to deliver mission-serving solutions faster,” she said.
The cloud is a safe environment for governments to collaborate and serve citizens. Unfortunately, there are common myths and misconceptions that discourage governments from moving to the cloud.
We previously debunked common cloud myths on our blog. This time let’s debunk common cloud myths specific to government agencies.
Myth: The cloud isn’t as secure as my on-premises servers.
Truth: Data stored in the cloud is just as, if not more, secure than data stored on your computer.
When building a cloud data center, security and compliance start with the first shovel of dirt. It’s not sprinkled on top at the end. More importantly, cloud providers have robust security and cyber defense teams, which means most agencies step up their security and compliance efforts when transitioning to the cloud.
For example, Microsoft invests $1 billion dollars a year in security and analyzes more than 6.5 trillion signals every day for security.
Any agency, no matter the size, using Microsoft Azure benefits from these cyber security investments.
Myth: Mission-critical operations can’t run in the cloud.
Truth: Mission-critical solutions are running in the cloud.
Some of the first public safety organizations to move to the cloud were those in emergency management. Early on, the community recognized that having computing infrastructure in the cloud allowed them to easily scale up when they needed more resources and scale back when an event was over.
Additionally, many counties and large cities have portals for citizens to get updates on disasters. Those portals are in the cloud, and they have been for years. Emergency management organizations paved the way for other public safety organizations to move their mission-critical services to the cloud.
Myth: The cloud is too expensive for my agency.
Truth: The cloud is a cost-effective alternativeto traditional on-prem solutions.
Traditional on-prem solutions previously required agencies to spend large sums of money upfront to meet uncertain future demands. As technology cycles continue to accelerate and cyber threats increase, deploying and maintaining current, secure IT environments are becoming increasingly complex, demanding, and resource-intensive.
By removing the expense of procuring and maintaining secure, scalable, and available IT environments, this reduces administrative burden and the need for high-specification hardware. In the long-run, the cloud saves agencies money and offers predictable operational expenditure.
Next Steps
If you’re interested in moving your agency’s mission-critical services to the cloud, check out HxGN OnCall, a comprehensive portfolio of public safety solutions available.
