Risks associated with the Cloud

As Heise reported online last week, the US government wants to force Microsoft to divulge data stored in the EU in the US. The risks associated with the Cloud really come as no surprise. Nevertheless, this concrete case gives one pause for thought. Björn Orth, Managing Director of VENDOSOFT GmbH reveals what alternatives exist. And how inexpensive these options are to boot.

Risks associated with the Cloud: US Supreme Court is making a grab for EU data

According to the Heise report, at the end of 2013, a New York federal district court required Microsoft to hand over customer’s emails. The group complied in part, but refused to hand over data stored on servers in Ireland. Microsoft went before a federal appeals court. The judges unanimously agreed that the underlying law applies only to the US. In turn, the US government and 33 US states challenged this decision. Since then, the highest court in the US has dealt with the case: the US Supreme Court.

This shows how important the matter is considered”, noted Björn Orth, Managing Director of VENDOSOFT GmbH. “And it shows just how insecure the Cloud model is.” His warning is not unfounded. In this country, when someone speaks of the Cloud, they are usually speaking about Microsoft Office 365 or Azure, of IBM, Oracle and Google amongst others.
“When going to the Cloud, European companies may risk divulging their business data to US providers,” reveals Orth. “And this is at a time when IT security is being discussed more than ever!”

Software solutions that are an alternative to the Cloud

Björn Orth follows how the US government uses judicial power to access EU data with interest. The business model at VENDOSOFT GmbH is based on the purchasing and sale of used software licenses. This applies to ‘On-Premise’ too. This is a model that has many followers – and profits from ill tidings such as these.

With second-hand business software, VENDOSOFT is able to provide a secure and extremely cost-effective alternative to those who are sceptical about moving to the Cloud or who don’t want to move there for other reasons. In the case of Microsoft products, for example, companies save 30 to 70%.

Meanwhile, there is no date for the oral hearing before the US Supreme Court.
“I’m curious how the decision will turn out,” says Orth. Good for VENDOSOFT customers in any case: At the end of the day, with used Adobe and Microsoft volume licenses, you run no risk that your data can be made public or disclosed.

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