Cloud technology has brought a paradigm shift which has helped small business enterprises to change their approach and to operate more like a large firm. Today, this technology is being adopted and incorporated by business houses who are excessively leveraging it for their benefit.

Adopting cloud technology is highly advantageous but there are certain things that need to be considered to ensure that the migration is successfully done. Poorly planned or haste cloud adoptions can pose security risks or may disrupt the whole business process. According to Forbes Technology Council (FTC) member Tyler Shields, “When it comes to cloud adoption, the biggest challenge isn’t technology — it’s the people and processes that must change and adapt.” So, migrating to cloud is a challenge in itself.

To avoid unnecessary hitch and snag, here are some things to consider for the enterprises progressing to cloud –

• Choose The Correct Cloud Option - The best cloud option is the one that suits your needs and budget. It should be secure, scalable and flexible.
• Viability Of The Vendor – Consider the viability of the cloud vendor before adopting the cloud technology. Check out for the financial capacity of the vendor to ensure his ability to grow when your organization needs expand with time. Also check the facilities and options provided by the vendor.
• Plan In Advance – As often quoted, “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” So plan out the transition well in advance. An informed decision regarding what to migrate and when to migrate is crucial. Companies should carefully examine their IT infrastructure, systems, needs and usage to determine the best cloud services as this helps in saving time and money by reducing the unnecessary burden of offloading. Businesses that plan out their activities can experience a better and smooth cloud adoption.
• Data Back-Up – Once it is decided what and when to migrate, the next important thing is to back up the data before the actual migration starts. This is vital to avoid any loss of important information and easy recovery. 
• Consider The Challenges – The Company must consider the challenges that pose a threat to security. They must determine the security layers that exist and how can the cloud vendor protect the data from viruses, hackers and theft. If the data is not secure then it would ultimately lead to wastage of time along with added costs. 
• Ensure Necessary Infrastructure – Prepare for the necessary IT infrastructure at the workplace to make the cloud adoption and migration process smooth and easy. 
• Performance Check Before Transition – Before the business transits the data, it is important to check how apps will perform in their new environment.
• Co-Existence – It is important to consider the impact of migration as it might result in downtime and disruption. To reduce the risk, Co- Existence must be ensured as a gradual shift is more beneficial, that leads to increase in productivity particularly avoiding any problems and disruptions.

So before the business decides to progress towards cloud adoption, the above mentioned factors must be considered to experience a smooth cloud adoption. For more considerations , contact Centex Technologies, call at (972) 375 – 9654.

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In the recent years, dependency on internet connectivity has increased manifold. People want to stay connected to internet 24X7, be it at their offices, colleges, airports, hotels or even coffee shops. Seeing this rising trend, many public places are now offering free Wi-Fi hotspots to attract more customers. Most of these don’t even require passwords, one just needs to connect to the hotspot and start browsing the internet.

Though ‘free-Wi-Fi’ may sound appealing, but if not wisely used, it may expose the sensitive data of your device to cyber-criminals. To avoid connecting to fake wireless networks, also known as ‘Wi-Fi honeypots”, you must be aware of whose network you are connecting to. Here are some rules that you must consider.

Avoid Connecting To Wi-Fi Networks That Require No Passwords

A good thumb rule is to never connect to a wireless network that doesn’t ask you to enter any password.  A network without WPA or WPA2 password is termed as an unsecure network. Connecting to these may easily make your personal information, contacts, photos, logins and other data in your phone/laptop vulnerable to hackers.

Turn Wi-Fi Off When Not In Use

When you are not using the internet, disable the Wi-Fi on your device. This will not only keep your data safe, but will also increase the battery life of your system. Ensure that the option to automatically connect to an available Wi-Fi network is turned off.

Do Not Perform Sensitive Or Financial Tasks When Using Public Wi-Fi

It is strongly recommended not to access online banking websites or perform any financial transactions (such as on online shopping websites, bill payments etc.) on open networks. Through Wi-Fi snooping and sniffing techniques, hackers may gain access to all your online activities and capture your login credentials. If you need to perform any urgent transaction, you can always opt to use your mobile internet connection.

Disable Public Sharing

Laptops and similar devices usually have an option to share their resources within the same network. If you are using such devices, make sure that the ‘’File and Printer Sharing’ option is turned off before you connect to a public Wi-Fi. Not doing so may provide hacker easy get access to important files and documents stored in the cloud as well as in other connected devices.

Connect To Websites That Open With HTTPS

Whenever you open a website on a public Wi-Fi, check if the address bar shows “https://“at the beginning of the web address. Such websites are relatively secure as all the communication is encrypted. Browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera provide certain extensions that help to encrypt the data i.e. by default provide secure connection while browsing.

For more information about public Wi-Fi security, contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.