Making the decision to move to a cloud host seems like it should be a simple thing. In most cases, it is. Unless you’ve overlooked these five key questions.
Cloud hosting requirements are often more complex than you may initially believe. Once you move your server outside the walls of your company office there are many important things you should consider.
Here are 5 important questions to ask your cloud hosting provider
How Frequently Do You Backup?
You’ll want to have at least a week’s worth of daily backups just in case a file needs to be recovered.
Some cloud hosts charge a fee for recovering files. If you need to frequently recover deleted files it’s best to find out the policy up front.
Ask how quickly your files can be recovered. Is support available after-hours and on weekends?
What Security Is Available For My Login
Two-factor or multi-factor authentication is one of the best ways to secure a login. Instead of just a password to login, what multi-factor uses is both something you know (your password) and something you have – typically an authentication tool which generates a one-time use code.
Combine that code with your password and you have security which a hacker cannot easily breach.
There are many different multi-factor tools available. Be sure to ask which toll your cloud provider works with.
Am I Sharing Server Space With Other Companies?
In many cases dozens of companies can be hosted on the same server. Multiple users on the same computer can cause issues in a few ways.
- Performance slowdowns
- Security risks from virus or crypto malware
- Increased risk of downtime
Read more: What is a dedicated server?
Are You SSAE 18 Certified?
Many organizations such as nonprofit organizations, government entities, financial service companies, IT, transportation companies, health care providers, construction companies, insurance agencies, manufacturing, real estate, and trucking now require statements of compliance for their auditors.
Make sure you first ask your auditors what their requirements are before choosing a hosting provider.
Do You Support VPN (Virtual Private Networks)?
A VPN encrypts your Internet traffic from point to point. This means that even if someone were snooping in on your data, the information would be fully encrypted and unusable.
Some companies, especially those in highly secure industries such as finance or healthcare, require that all employees use a VPN when connecting to their servers remotely.
The team at Summit Hosting have been hosting Sage 100 and most of the popular third-party add-ons for over 10 years. If you’re considering moving Sage 100 / Sage 100cloud to the cloud, contact Summit Hosting to learn more. Don’t forget to mention “Schulz Says” for special pricing!
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