We live in an age where the Cloud is king. Cloud computing is credited with increased speed to launch, ease of management, reduced costs and implementation time, and improved scalability and flexibility. Companies in every sector globally are shifting their operations to the Cloud — to the tune of $482 billion in 2022 alone.
But Cloud-based solutions are not without risks. In 2021, a whopping 98% of companies reported at least one Cloud data breach within the last 18 months. To succeed, companies must understand the risks associated with Cloud-based solutions — especially regarding the security of their CRM and its data.
In this blog, the team at Provar will discuss the security risks associated with Cloud-based solutions and examine why selecting a hybrid solution like Provar Automation can help better keep your CRM — and its associated data — secure.
Cloud-Based Solutions: Security Risks to Your CRM
The benefits of Cloud solutions are numerous. However, they can also expose organizations to data and infrastructure security risks and leave companies vulnerable to malware, access issues, data breaches, compliance concerns, and more.
“When you’re on the Cloud, you open your database to the outside world,” says Jon Robinson, Provar’s Chief Storyteller. “You’re just adding more holes. You need a secure approach as an organization, and it becomes increasingly difficult to do that with a Cloud-based system.”
Stories of data breaches on the Cloud are widespread, with prominent companies making headlines. In 2021, T-Mobile and USCellular were hacked, and valuable customer data was stolen from their CRMs. T-Mobile is expected to pay over $350 million in settlement to affected customers.
According to the 2022 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average Cloud data breach cost for a US company was 9.44 million dollars in 2021. In health care, breaches were even more costly — going up 42% since 2020 to an average of $10.10 million per incident. These numbers do not include potential HIPAA violation costs, compliance fines, or SOX penalties, which can add considerable cost to mishandled data.
“This isn’t just your data — this is your customer data,” says Michael Cipolla, Provar’s Vice President of Sales. “Besides the people who work for your organization, your customer data is your most important asset.”
Hybrid Solutions: Enhanced Security for Your Data
The Provar team suggests a hybrid solution rather than a Cloud-based platform to protect your company’s precious customer data.
A hybrid solution combines computing, testing, storage, and services comprising on-premises infrastructure, private Cloud services, and (sometimes) a public Cloud service. In a hybrid environment, companies can connect their existing systems to private and public Clouds while keeping sensitive information like CRM customer data on their on-premise private storage center.
In other words, hybrid solutions work with Cloud platforms and native, local installations to keep your data safe.
“From a security standpoint, there’s a variety of reasons why a native/hybrid solution is a better option than the Cloud,” says Jon. “Hybrid solutions allow you to control the integrity and continuity of your business.”
And in the case of hybrid solutions, money talks. According to the 2022 IBM study, hybrid Cloud models had the lowest average total data breach cost compared to public, private, and on-premise models. Hybrid Cloud environment data breaches cost an average of $3.61 million — $1.19 million less than the average public Cloud data breach. Additionally, those companies with hybrid Cloud solutions were more easily and quickly able to identify and stop breaches faster than their counterparts using purely Cloud-based solutions.
Provar Automation: Your Secure Hybrid Solution
Provar is the leader in Salesforce quality and is designed to keep your data’s security paramount. Provar’s hybrid Cloud solutions, such as test automation solution Provar Automation, have transformed the Salesforce testing process for our customers and keep your CRM data safe and secure.
Provar Automation allows customers to run tests locally and securely within an on-premises network and behind their firewall. Thanks to the robust, built-in encryption and extensions, companies can tailor their internal settings to target their specific security needs. This end-to-end solution tests your entire business flow in Salesforce and beyond. While it supports Cloud integrations, you can rest assured that your most important data lives locally and is entirely under your control.
The experts at Provar emphasize the importance of understanding your organization’s specific needs, security requirements, and current infrastructure when considering your hybrid (or Cloud-based) solution. Additionally, knowing the risks to your CRM and your customer data when choosing a third-party partner is imperative.
“We don’t want your data,” Jon says. “We are not here for your data. Any data added to your system is done so on your local infrastructure. We never see it; you manage, add, and remove it all yourself. You’re always in control.”
Learn more about Provar Automation’s unique security features, or schedule a demo with our team today to see how Provar can help you achieve your test automation goals and keep your CRM secure.
