The latest news always seems to be breaking a story about a new security breach at some company. If your server is down the hall, or your Quickbooks is on your desktop, you may think you are safe; but the opposite may be true. Control of location is not the same as control over access to your data.
Is cloud-based software really more secure than on-premise software?
On-premise and legacy systems get out dated quickly and often use a patchwork of security technologies, which leave vulnerabilities. Cloud-based software has modern architecture which is designed with multiple layers of security woven throughout, like a universal fabric. Additionally, cloud services are constantly monitoring, testing, and updating their software to secure any vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
When you want security, what you really want is data durability and availability.
Durability is the protection against data loss and data theft. Availability is the access to your data when, where, and how you want it.
When you rely on on-premise software for your hotel operational data, from accounting to advanced bookings, durability is at risk due to physical damage, such as fire or flood, or cyber-attack, such as vulnerable security patches and email born threats, like phishing or ransomware.
Security advantages of cloud-based software
- Modern Architecture: Software is built from the ground up with security in mind.
- Redundancy: Data is stored in multiple data centers, in multiple regions.
- Virtualization: Providers can easily migrate the servers from one data center to another, in case of data center failure.
- Integrity: Frequent, automatic data integrity checks to ensure that all of these redundant backups are operational.
- Physical protection: Round-the-clock guards, surveillance, and state-of-the-art physical controls.
- Software Updates: Full-time teams and automated software dedicated to finding security vulnerabilities and patching them.
- Segmented Workstations: Most attackers get into networks through phishing and email-born threats; with cloud-based software, your workstations are completely segmented from the corporate network where the data lives.
- Encryption: Your data is encrypted to prevent data exposure.
To put this into context:
Hotel Investor Apps is designed on the Acumatica ERP platform, which was built from the ground up to exist in the cloud and security is part of the base architecture. Hotel Investor Apps, in conjunction with Acumatica, provide multiple levels of encryption, data redundancy, and frequent security updates, which are automatically implemented.
Hotel Investor Apps is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s most advanced cloud computing infrastructure, and largest database provider. Amazon S3 is designed for 99.99% availability and 99.999999999% data durability. According to Amazon, this means that the probability of losing your data in any given year is just 1 in 100 billion. Amazon also stores data redundantly across multiple devices across a minimum of three availability zones. This means AWS can withstand the concurrent loss of data in two facilities.
In case of emergency
Because human error may be the leading cause of data loss, greater than outdated software or natural disaster, there should always be a back-up plan. The most common way attackers get into networks is through phishing and email-borne threats.
You should choose a cloud service provider that helps you follow best practices and formulate a back-up plan.
Hotel Investor Apps has an option for a daily back-up (rolling 35-day) to a local server. In case of an emergency, we can launch your local back-up in just 2 hours or less.
Know the weakest link in your security chain.
Because it may just be you or your employees. It is important to make sure all staff follow best practices, such as:
- Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication
- Keep all software applications up to date. (Hotel Investor Apps cloud-based ERP is automatically updated)
- Ensuring your local network and access points are secure.
- Don’t send private information in un-secured format, such as by email.
- Enforce user access rights/ permissions. (Hotel Investor Apps allows admins to restrict access by IP location and enforce granular role-based privileges.)
Embrace the Cloud
If you use email, text, chats, your communications are already in the cloud. Are you ready to transition your back-office software to the cloud? Your data is almost always more secure in the cloud than it ever will be in-house. Plus, bonus, by upgrading to cloud-based ERP software, you can consolidate all your various programs onto a single platform. According to a recent study by Lemongrass, enterprises are moving legacy resources to the cloud faster than ever, and their main reasons are securing their data, maintaining data access and saving money.
If you are curious about cloud-based hotel ERP software, contact Chris Hall at Hotel Investor Apps to answer your questions and evaluate your current technology, at chris@hotelinvestorapps.com. Or request a demo here: https://hotelinvestorapps.com/index.php/request-a-demo/
Jaime Goss has over a decade of marketing experience in the hospitality industry. At Hotel Investor Apps, Jaime heads up marketing initiatives including brand strategy, website design, content, email marketing, advertising and press relations.
