How to find a cloud provider you can trust

Highlights:

• As more companies go remote or hybrid, workers are taking their devices with them. That makes data security a top concern for IT teams.
• Cloud providers promise to protect your data. The challenge is finding providers you know you can trust.
• Curtis Peterson, our SVP of Global Operations, offers his thoughts on building trust in the cloud in a recent webinar.
• Check out our summary of the webinar below.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundation principle that holds all relationships.” 

That iconic quote from Stephen R. Covey, leadership expert and author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, graces everything from fridge magnets to team building exercises—and it’s never been more relevant to our workplaces.

Trust affects how well individuals and teams work together, how employees engage with their employers, and so many other aspects of work life. When it comes to the solutions and apps companies deploy to enable work, trust is no less important, especially in this era of hybrid and remote work. 

Here’s why 400,000+ customers and millions of users trust RingCentral with their data

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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, enterprise security was a growing concern. According to IBM’s annual Cost of a Data Breach report, the average cost of a data breach for US companies reached $3.86 million in 2020. And as people began taking work home or on the go, 76% of organizations feared the challenge of protecting their company’s data would only become more difficult. 

In a RingCentral webinar, Building Trust in the Cloud, Curtis Peterson, SVP of Global Operations, talked about the inherent vulnerabilities of working from anywhere and what to look for in a provider to protect your most valuable company assets. 

Here’s a rundown of the webinar:

The problem with VPNs

VPNs have long been used to provide workers with secure remote access to enterprise networks and apps. However, VPNs are on their way out. Gartner predicts that 60% of enterprises will phase out their VPNs within the next couple of years.

When it comes to remote work, VPNs face several challenges:

• They lack the ability to scale due to licensing and bandwidth constraints.
• They can be difficult to configure on individual machines.
• Because the VPN app itself has to be secured, they expand your security footprint rather than make it more manageable.

When you consider what remote work life looks like, it becomes clear that VPNs aren’t up to the task. Employees need seamless access to all their information and collaboration functionalities, and they need it on any device (including personal laptops and phones, given the rise of BYOD policies). 

Four principles of cloud trust

Switching to the cloud can resolve the access-flexibility conundrum. But it also raises the question of how to find providers you know you can trust.

Just other types of trust, cloud trust isn’t based on a single action or quality—it’s multifaceted and must be reinforced at every turn. In our webinar, Peterson talked about the four principles of trust we apply to our messaging, video, and phone solution here at RingCentral. It’s a useful framework for evaluating any cloud provider.   

1. Enterprise security refers to your organization’s ability to granularly control how a platform is used and specifically how data is shared internally and externally. Platform-wise, this means features such as user permissions, controls over what people have access to, and other user- and organization-level security settings.
2. Cloud security is how well your provider protects your data while it’s in transit and storage. This includes features such as on-site data center security and redundancy.
3. Product security is the built-in security attributes of a cloud app, from how it’s built to the protocols it employs to function.
4. Trust programs provide confidence that a provider can follow through on their promise to protect your data. Instead of taking their word for it, a provider that participates in recognized trust programs has external security standards they have to live up to—and should be party to third-party checks and audits to ensure their compliance. At RingCentral, for example, our certifications include ISO 27001, ISO 27017, HITRUST, SOC3, and other independent verifications.

Best practices for building trust in the cloud

We’re entering a new era of flexible work—and while remote and hybrid arrangements confer benefits for both employers and employees, trust is more important than ever. 

Watch the on-demand webinar with SVP of Operations Curtis Lee Peterson to learn more about finding a cloud provider you can trust, as well best practices for better security at the individual and corporate levels. 

Originally published Jul 22, 2021, updated Jun 25, 2023