Personal Cloud Storage: IT's Growing Compliance Nightmare

Personal cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Box, and Google (News - Alert) Drive are a convenient resource for saving desktop space, aiding collaboration and providing access to files from any device. However, enterprise employees are increasingly using these cloud services to save and store files in the workplace.

The reasons for this rapid adoption are numerous and often understandable. End users sought an easy way to access their work documents from the cloud but organizations were slow to issue or create company-sanctioned cloud storage. Instead, end users found their storage answer in these free and easily accessible cloud services – and for IT managers this has become a growing compliance issue. 
 

The Dichotomy of Cloud Storage
 

According to Forbes, storing data in the personal cloud storage presents a stark problem: “Cloud storage complicates adherence to regulatory compliancy laws in multiple ways.” To put it simply, when company data is stored on personal clouds, control over that data is compromised.

The problem typically becomes apparent when companies start to roll out their own cloud storage initiatives and teams realize that business-critical or confidential data is already housed in the cloud, across numerous personal cloud storage accounts. While these accounts will offer some level of security, they are no match for an organization’s own governance, security and compliance protocols for storing data.
 

This mismatch creates exposure to significant business risk, particularly in highly regulated industries or those involved in government work where such a breach of protocol could be tantamount to a contract breach and even unlawful – both of which bring large fines, loss of contracts or other penalties from regulatory agencies.
 

User familiarity with personal cloud storage also exacerbates this issue.  It’s a case of old habits die hard, once users become comfortable using their personal cloud storage, the likelihood that they are using it to store confidential or sensitive organizational data increases.
 

That being said, enterprise cloud storage solutions from Microsoft (News - Alert), such as Office 365 and OneDrive for Business, bridge the gap between the many disparate cloud storage platforms and provide a familiar interface and workflow, easing adoption across the workforce. These solutions also satisfy IT and business leaders, providing a business-centric cloud storage solution that gives employees the accessibility they need in a secure, controlled, easy-to-monitor enterprise-grade infrastructure – while streamlining governance and compliance.
 

Educate, Audit and Enforce
 

Of course, new software solutions are not the only answer. Responding to the issue also involves education and auditing.
 

IT managers need to work with CIOs and CTOs to develop programs that not only recognize the issue of personal cloud storage use in the workplace but clarify the policies around confidential data storage practices.  And these programs need teeth. In addition to workplace documentation, consider putting in place formal training and certification programs to ensure that employees understand and comply with such policies.
 

Organizations also need to ensure that employee storage practices are monitored closely. Set internal policies that dictate document access permissions, conduct regular audits to ensure enforcement, and consider monitoring employee use of personal cloud storage access during work hours or via VPN.
 

Summary

Cloud storage is clearly an evolving solution to a growing need, and that evolution rests with business organizations who are not only adapting to cloud storage but are advancing its deployment and use based on their own critical needs, policies and governance requirements. If your business is making the move to cloud-based storage, be prepared to recognize the risk, develop plans that help you adapt, and ensure that compliance – in all its forms – remains top of mind.