Needless to say, cloud adoption in security is gaining ground. This is further confirmed by a recent report by Genetec showing an increase in the number of security users using cloud or hybrid solutions.
Needless to say, cloud adoption in security is gaining ground. This is further confirmed by a recent report by Genetec showing an increase in the number of security users using cloud or hybrid solutions. The report also shows that users’ cloud cybersecurity concerns are decreasing.
Increasingly, migration to the
cloud is gaining traction in security, and for good reasons, too. Cloud offers various benefits. Especially amid increasing video data and longer retention requirements, cloud provides a viable solution allowing remote monitoring, scalability and cost savings as purchasing expensive onsite equipment may no longer be required.
For those who want some security element onsite, they can go for a
hybrid solution. For example, they can keep the more recent and relevant data on-premises. After a certain period, the video can be pushed to cloud and saved in lower resolution. This architecture can be quite beneficial for various end user entities including airports, cities and
banks.
Cloud, hybrid adoption increasing
The migration trend to cloud is evidenced by Genetec’s
2024 State of Physical Security report polling over 5,500 respondents including both end users and systems integrators. According to the poll, 44 percent of end users reported that more than 25 percent of their physical security setups are now either in the cloud or use a combination of cloud and on-premises solutions – a significant jump from the 24 percent reported last year.
As for hybrid cloud, adoption is accelerating as well. The Genetec survey indicates that 60 percent of end user respondents are considering hybrid solutions. Further, the numbers show 15 percent of end users are currently storing video surveillance data both locally and in the cloud, marking a sizable increase from 4 percent from in last year’s poll.
Channel players, meanwhile, are also expecting cloud demand to pick up. The Genetec report finds that 74 percent of channel partner respondents anticipate more of their current customers adopting cloud-based security solutions in the coming year, 39 percent prioritize cloud-based solutions whenever possible, and an additional 52 percent offer cloud-based solutions upon customer request.
Cybersecurity concerns toward cloud lessening
The report further finds users’ cybersecurity concerns towards cloud are diminishing. According to Genetec, in last year's survey end users considered cybersecurity risks to be the primary factor discouraging them from adopting cloud-based security systems; this year, however, respondents have relegated perceived cybersecurity risks to the sixth position among the factors deterring their organizations from adopting security systems in the cloud. This shift underscores growing confidence in the capabilities of cloud solution providers to establish robust cybersecurity measures, the report concludes.
However, users shouldn’t let down their guard when migrating to cloud, which still has certain vulnerabilities. The Center for Internet Security (CIS), citing Thales Group data from 2022, said that 45 percent of businesses had experienced either a data breach or failed audit in the cloud over the preceding 12 months, versus 35 percent from 2021. “Given these challenges, you can’t rely on just any approach to secure your cloud-based systems and data. You need a strategic approach like defense-in-depth that will protect you against cyber threats from multiple angles,” CIS said in a blog post.
According to the post, defense-in-depth is the implementation of multiple layers of security controls around the user’s data and security systems – each layer is a cybersecurity control that makes it more difficult for an attacker to get to the data at the core, and this holds true for whether the user stores their data on premises or in the cloud.