Cloud computing is used by people and industries in both the public and private sectors. This means there are two types of cloud services available. While both have their own cloud computing security measures, one better secures data. 

If you use cloud computing to share, store, or access sensitive information like your bills and important documents, you’ll want to ensure the cloud is as secure as possible. We’ll explain the difference between private vs. public data clouds and highlight the best one to use.

Key Takeaways 

• Both public and private clouds use a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that allows users to access resources across applications.
  
  

• Private clouds are more secure than public, as they do not share infrastructure with other organizations.
  
  

• Public clouds are better suited for larger scalability.

What Is a Public Cloud?

Anthony Sequeira, an instructor from ITPro, explains:

“The most popular, the one we typically think of immediately, is a public cloud, typically. This is where we are going to leverage a cloud provider, Amazon Web Services from Amazon, or the Azure service from Microsoft, and we’re going to have them take care of all the engineering and provisioning of the cloud itself. And then we will make our services available in that public cloud.”

These types of clouds use shared infrastructure best suited for a multi-tenant environment with multiple organizations. 

Often, this type of cloud is used for backup and archival purposes. Think of a public cloud as an apartment with multiple residents (cloud users) accessing the building. 

Public cloud examples include SaaS and PaaS services, as well as popular cloud providers like Google Cloud, Azure, or AWS. Public clouds provide resources for applications, storage clouds, and virtual machines that the general public accesses on the Internet. Because there are usually multiple data centers in various locations, public clouds are reliable and offer high availability. 

This type of cloud is great for large-scale operations that need to be implemented over a public network. Some examples of applications using public clouds are YouTube and Google Docs. What makes this type of cloud service so desirable for larger organizations is it makes access to the data easier because all that is needed is an internet connection. However, this also means public clouds are not as secure as private clouds.

Instead, keep your important documents safe in a secure location like Trustworthy. Trustworthy's Family Operating System® includes advanced security features that protect your documents while making them convenient to access. 

What Is a Private Cloud?

Unlike a public cloud, a private cloud does not make its services and resources accessible over a public network and does not share infrastructure with other organizations. While a public cloud may be an apartment building, a private cloud is like a house.   

Private clouds are often referred to as data centers and typically reside on the organization's infrastructure. 

Many large businesses invest money into this infrastructure and provide additional cloud computing security measures like firewalls to protect their private cloud. The only way to access the data on a private cloud is by connecting to it via a private network. Even then, there are additional security features to authenticate users using single-occupant infrastructure.

Unlike a public cloud, private clouds are maintained and deployed by a private company over a private network. 

Private clouds also make compliance with data privacy regulations easier, as private cloud users have more control over the infrastructure and can develop cloud computing security features to adhere to data privacy laws. This customization allows for improved performance compared to public clouds.     

Is a Private Cloud More Secure Than a Public Cloud?

While public clouds are more appealing to larger organizations and come with lower costs, they’re not as secure as private clouds. Here are some reasons why private clouds are more secure:

Control Over Infrastructure

Having control over your private cloud’s infrastructure means you can customize it to your specific needs. This includes ensuring adequate cloud computing security measures and physical protection with on-site security and CCTV. 

Large businesses or organizations often invest in the infrastructure, as the data center is based on their property. For example, health organizations dealing with patients' medical information will have their private cloud infrastructure based on-site for extra security.  

Control over infrastructure means organizations can customize things like OSes, server virtualization platforms, and network accessibility controls. 

Isolation

Because private clouds do not share infrastructure with other organizations, the chance of unauthorized access to stored data is lowered. When it comes to private cloud security, the fewer people who know about the cloud's existence, the better. This also makes managing the cloud a lot easier. 

Custom Security Measures 

Another reason why private clouds are more secure than public ones is that custom security measures can be implemented to suit specific needs. 

Some cloud computing security measures are encryption, firewalls, access control, multi-factor authorizations, and cloud monitoring. Custom backup plans and incident response plans can be made, as can regular training for private cloud users. Organizations can conduct regular security audits. 

Reduced Attack Surface

Because private clouds are not shared with other organizations and are not exposed to the internet, there is a reduced attack surface. This is why organizations in the healthcare or finance industry will choose to use private clouds.  

Less Vulnerable to Multi-Tenant Risks

Multi-tenancy in cloud computing comes with some serious risks that private clouds are less vulnerable to. Some of the biggest risks of multi-tenant cloud computing are data security and privacy risks. 

Despite appropriate security measures, these types of clouds are at risk for data breaches due to something as simple as misconfigurations. Because all the public cloud users are dependent on the cloud service provider’s security measures, if something goes wrong, everyone is affected. 

Another risk private clouds are less vulnerable to is compliance regulations. With more organizations sharing the same infrastructure, it becomes difficult for the cloud provider to ensure compliance regulations are being met. In addition, multi-tenant cloud computing can strain the cloud's resources, which can negatively affect users. 

Private clouds, while not completely free of risk, are less vulnerable to the risks mentioned above. 

Similarities Between Private and Public Clouds

While both these clouds operate on different infrastructures and one has access to a public network, there are some similarities between public and private clouds. 

Underlying Technology 

Public and private clouds use the same underlying technology to offer users efficient data storage features. Both use service-oriented architecture (SOA) that allows users to access services across multiple applications in a private and public setting. 

Both clouds also use resource pooling among users to provide networking, storage features, and computing power. 

Scalability 

Both public and private clouds offer scalability to meet changing needs. This scalability allows users to add or remove resources available on the cloud. The only difference between private and public clouds is that public clouds offer greater scalability. 

Virtualization 

Private and public cloud computing services both use virtualization technologies to create virtual machines in the cloud. These machines manage the resources and ensure the physical hardware is working. 

High Availability 

Whether you use a public or private cloud, both are designed with reliability and high availability. To avoid downtime that increases security risks, clouds use features like redundant systems, multiple data centers, and failover mechanisms. 

Other Considerations for Private vs. Public Cloud

With advantages and disadvantages for both types of cloud, how do you know which one to choose? Making the right choice will depend on a number of considerations, which will be explored below. 

Scalability and Flexibility Needs

To decide between a private and public cloud, consider what type of scalability and flexibility is needed. 

For example, larger organizations with multiple divisions may find that a public cloud is more readily available on a larger scale than a private cloud. However, private clouds provide more flexibility. 

Budget 

Consider your budget. Private clouds are a more expensive option because they require privacy management and maintenance. With increased customizing and added control over your cloud, the costs will be higher than those of public clouds. 

Resource Allocation 

The larger the cloud, the more resources need to be allocated. That means more customization is needed than a public cloud can offer. More resources provided will require additional maintenance, which is available on private clouds. 

Compliance Requirements

If you are looking for a cloud to ensure your data storage practices comply with data privacy regulations for the healthcare industry, for example, consider private clouds rather than public clouds. Because private clouds do not share infrastructure with other organizations, maintaining compliance is easier. 

Need for Predictable Performance

Consider what type of predictability or reliability you need with the cloud. If you’re not looking for reliable performance but increased scalability, public clouds are a good option. Choose Trustworthy as your predictable and secure data storage partner.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the disadvantages of a private cloud?

While a private cloud is more secure, it is a more expensive option and comes with limited scalability. 

What is the major drawback of the public cloud?

The major drawback of public clouds is they are less secure than private clouds because they use a shared public network. 

When should you avoid the public cloud?

Public clouds should be avoided if you’re storing sensitive data or need to ensure strict compliance with data privacy regulations.