![[Africa Cloud Review] Simon Ngunjiri: Moving to the cloud can cut your security risks](Images/Key Persons/SimonNgunjiriMuraya-Incentro.jpg)
[Africa Cloud Review] Simon Ngunjiri: Moving to the cloud can cut your security risks
Whenever we talk about cloud a debate about cloud security always comes up. Cloud security, also known as cloud computing security, is the practice of protecting cloud-based data, applications and infrastructure from cyber attacks.
Cloud security consists of a set of policies, controls, procedures and technologies that work together to protect cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure.
It may seem counterintuitive, but organisations can better guard against today’s constant wave of security threats – or at least reduce some of their risk burden – by accelerating their move to the cloud. Using cloud services shifts some of the responsibility for the underlying infrastructure onto the providers. And all of them are highly motivated to keep on top of security. This is according to Todd Schoeman, the BT Client Business Director in South Africa in a column we published this week.
This is very important especially at this time when the global cloud market is growing fast. The market, estimated at $313.1 Billion in the 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of $937.5 Billion by 2027, growing at a Compound annual growth rate, CAGR, of 17% over the analysis period 2020-2027. In Africa, cloud providers are gearing up for to be part of this growth, with companies like Africa Data Centres announcing plans to build large hyperscale data centres throughout Africa, including the North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. The project will involve building 10 hyperscale data centres, in 10 countries, over the next two years – at a cost of more than US$500m. It is being funded through new equity and facilities from leading development finance institutions and multilateral organisations.
Winston Ritson, the Group Head for Cloud Services at Liquid Intelligent Technologies in a recent article noted that the continent is perfectly suited to jump onto the Cloud faster than her peers.
‘’International investors are clamoring to the front of the investment line to fund a boom in the African Cloud Computing market. The proliferation of smartphones, mass adoption of business software and general economic growth prospects have seen a great demand for data centers to be built within continental borders. A young mobile population is driving end-user demand and the potential for the next Cloud boom.’’ he says.
Ayotunde Coker, CEO of Rack Centre, based in Nigeria notes that telecoms companies have had to get connectivity across the continent which deepens broadband penetration and enables the consumption of content and, in turn, drives cloud computing.
This week, Kaspersky unveiled updates to two of its applications in the Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security protection solution for virtualisation and cloud environments. Nokia also announced it has been selected by MTN, a leading emerging markets operator in Africa and the Middle East, to drive its voice core evolution and network modernization in South Africa through cloud and future voice upgrades.
Simon Ngunjiri Muraya is Google Cloud Architect at Incentro Africa.
