At a high level, cloud backup providers fall into a few different camps. On one hand, you have those that store data in public clouds such as Amazon or Microsoft. On the other, you’ve got providers that maintain their own private cloud servers. Finally, there are a handful of companies that give you the choice of storing data in a public or a private cloud. When it comes to backup, there are pros and cons to each approach.

Private Cloud Backup vs Public Cloud Backup

Public cloud providers allow businesses to use whatever cloud backup software they choose. This may be important to to some companies, especially larger companies, which have already made major investments in on-premises backup infrastructure. Additionally, public cloud providers offer pay-as-you go pricing that can scale up or down as necessary.  

That flexibility is compelling, but when you are talking about SaaS data, compatibility with on-premises backup infrastructure isn’t really an issue. What really matters is how quickly you can perform restores. This is where backup providers that maintain their own private cloud shine. These solutions are built from the ground up for data protection, so they are optimized for restore.

Also, private cloud backup vendors typically offer tech support as a part of their service. In contrast, if you run into a problem restoring data from the private cloud, you will likely be on the hook for tech support costs. What’s worse, public cloud providers charge egress fees for transferring data in and out of their cloud. So, if you need to restore a large amount of data—say the contents of multiple users’ mailboxes—that restore can be an expensive proposition.

Finally, backups in a private cloud get single vendor solution, so there’s no possibility for finger pointing between backup and cloud vendors. Plus, you are billed on a monthly basis (typically per seat), so costs are predictable. And, there are no data egress fees for restores.  

Making The Case For Cloud-to-Cloud Backup

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Public Cloud Security Risks

There are also a number of potential security issues you should be aware of when it comes to storing backup data in a public cloud. Microsoft Azure assures users that, although you share data storage facilities and hardware with fellow cloud tenants, the cost savings are worth it. CISOs and SecOps teams keep your mission-critical data safe and your IP in your sole possession because threats loom large and unpredictable in cyberspace. Data breaches are far more costly than investing in a security solution that mitigates risk.

Significant risks that enterprises take on when using public cloud data storage include:

When you store your mission-critical data in a public cloud you may save a little in the short-term. However, for long-term ROI and threat protection private cloud is likely better suited for backup.

Customers of Backupify can trust their data is stored in a private cloud, which is purpose-built for backup with SOC 2 Type II compliance, and the ability to sign BAAs. Our geo-redundant storage and data encryption in transit -- and at rest -- ensures business-critical data is safe no matter what unexpected event arises for your enterprise.

Want to learn more? Discover how Backupify protects, restores, and optimizes your data with the protection of private cloud storage.