Tag: cloud services

The rapid adoption of cloud infrastructure in India has unlocked immense business agility, but it has also introduced a new scale of security and financial risk. According to a recent IBM report, the average cost of a data breach in India has surged to an all-time high of ₹19.5 crore. Furthermore, with attacks exploiting cloud vulnerabilities increasing by 180%, traditional security strategies are no longer sufficient. For years, organisations relied on a defined perimeter—a digital “castle-and-moat”—but the distributed nature of the hybrid cloud has made that model obsolete. 

This new reality demands a fundamental shift in how professionals evaluate and implement cybersecurity. The focus must move from a perimeter-based defence to a more integrated strategy where security is a continuous, data-centric process. For any organisation operating in the cloud today, building a resilient security posture is not just an IT task; it is an urgent business imperative. 

The Shared Responsibility Misconception

A primary source of confusion in cloud security is the “Shared Responsibility Model.” While cloud providers secure the underlying infrastructure (the “cloud itself”), the customer is always responsible for securing what’s in the cloud—their data, applications, and user access. Misunderstanding this division of labour often leads to critical security gaps. A robust security evaluation, therefore, begins with a clear understanding of what your provider covers and, more importantly, what you are solely responsible for protecting. 

Key Pillars of a Modern Cloud Security Evaluation 

Evaluating a cloud environment requires a multi-faceted approach. Instead of focusing on a single perimeter, professionals must assess a series of interconnected domains to build a truly resilient security posture. 

• Identity and Access Management (IAM): In the cloud, identity is the new perimeter. A rigorous IAM strategy is non-negotiable. This means moving towards a “Zero Trust” model, where no user or device is trusted by default. Your evaluation should scrutinise how principles of least-privilege access are enforced, whether multi-factor authentication (MFA) is standard, and how access policies are regularly reviewed and audited. 
• Data-Centric Security and Encryption: With assets distributed across various locations, the data itself must be the final line of defence. A key consideration is the robustness of encryption protocols. Is sensitive data encrypted both at rest (in storage) and in transit (as it moves between services and users)? Evaluating this ensures that even if a system is compromised, the data stays unreadable and secure. 
• Continuous Monitoring and Threat Detection: A “set-and-forget” security policy is a recipe for disaster. Effective cloud security relies on continuous, 24/7 monitoring to detect anomalies and potential threats in real-time. This involves analysing logs from various sources, identifying unusual user behaviour, and having an automated alert system that can flag suspicious activity before it escalates into a full-blown breach. 
• Compliance and Governance Frameworks: Your cloud operations must align with industry-specific and regional regulatory requirements. A proper evaluation involves mapping your security controls directly to these standards (such as ISO 27001, PCI DSS, or the DPDP Act). This not only mitigates the risk of non-compliance penalties but also provides a structured framework for supporting security best practises. 

The Expert Advantage: The Role of Cloud Management Services 

Achieving this level of deep, continuous security evaluation is a significant challenge. It demands specialised skills, sophisticated tools, and constant vigilance—resources that many organisations cannot support in-house. This is where expert Cloud Management Services become indispensable. 

By partnering with a specialised provider, organisations gain access to a team of security experts and a suite of advanced tools designed for the complexities of modern IT. At Yotta, our Cloud Managed Services provide a unified, single-pane-of-glass view to manage and secure your entire infrastructure, which is especially critical in a fragmented hybrid cloud environment. We implement proactive security measures, manage compliance, and provide the 24/7 monitoring needed to turn your security posture from reactive to resilient. This allows your team to focus on innovation, confident that the underlying infrastructure is secure. 

Relying on legacy security tools for your cloud infrastructure is like putting a simple padlock on a digital vault. It creates a false sense of security while leaving you exposed to modern, sophisticated threats. It’s time to embrace a new framework for security one built for the borderless reality of the cloud.

The demand for robust, flexible, and secure IT infrastructures has never been higher. Traditional data centers and legacy systems are increasingly being replaced by cloud solutions that offer scalability, cost-efficiency, and enhanced performance. Yotta Power Cloud, a cutting-edge platform built in collaboration with IBM Power, is designed to revolutionise the way enterprises manage their critical workloads and emerging technologies.

Yotta Power Cloud elevates hybrid cloud computing by unifying private cloud and on-premises infrastructure with a seamless public cloud environment. This combination creates a flexible and powerful IT ecosystem capable of meeting the growing demands of modern businesses.

The Power of IBM Power in Yotta Power Cloud

One of the key reasons Yotta Power Cloud stands out is its collaboration with IBM Power. IBM has long been recognised as a leader in the enterprise IT space, known for its innovative and reliable solutions. The IBM Power Systems—specifically the IBM P-Series—are trusted by businesses around the globe for their unmatched performance, reliability, and security. Yotta Power Cloud delivers a robust, enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure designed to handle both today’s and tomorrow’s workloads.

Here are some of the core benefits that Yotta Power Cloud provides:

• Unmatched Reliability and Uptime: IBM Power is built to provide industry-leading server reliability and uptime. According to IBM, 93% of IBM Power customers report up to 6x better system reliability and availability. For enterprises that rely on mission-critical applications, this level of reliability is a game-changer. Downtime is costly, and with Yotta’s proven infrastructure, businesses can ensure their operations remain seamless and uninterrupted, even during high-demand periods.
• Enterprise-Ready Cloud Integration: IBM Power easily integrates with private or hybrid cloud environments, making it an ideal choice for businesses seeking to build or migrate their workloads to the cloud. Whether you are looking to extend your on-premise infrastructure to the cloud or fully transition to a hybrid cloud model, Yotta Power Cloud offers a flexible and customizable solution that adapts to your specific needs. This integration ensures a smooth and efficient transition with minimal disruption to business operations.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Yotta Power Cloud leverages the most advanced processor technologies available today. Powered by IBM Power’s state-of-the-art I/O subsystem technology, including next-gen NVIDIA NVLink, PCIe Gen4, and OpenCAPI, this cloud platform is built for high-performance computing. These technologies allow for faster data processing, more efficient workload management, and seamless scaling, making it an ideal solution for businesses looking to harness the full potential of AI, machine learning, and other data-intensive applications.
• Proactive Security and Threat Detection: In an age where cybersecurity threats are increasingly sophisticated, businesses need infrastructure that can not only detect attacks but also respond quickly. Yotta Power Cloud provides enhanced security features that protect your enterprise from breaches. One standout feature is its ability to detect and thwart attacks immediately or within just 10 minutes of a breach. This proactive approach gives businesses a much larger response window to mitigate potential damage, protecting both sensitive data and business continuity.

Supporting Emerging Technologies

As businesses increasingly turn to technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics to stay competitive, they need a cloud infrastructure that can keep pace. Yotta Power Cloud is designed to support these emerging technologies by providing the high-performance computing power, advanced storage, and security needed to handle massive data volumes and complex workloads.

The platform’s ability to seamlessly integrate with AI and ML frameworks ensures that businesses can easily deploy, scale, and manage their AI models in the cloud. Whether you are training deep learning models or running big data analytics, Yotta Power Cloud provides the resources and flexibility needed to accelerate innovation and unlock valuable insights from your data.

Conclusion

The future of cloud computing is hybrid, and Yotta Power Cloud is at the forefront of this revolution. By combining the best of IBM Power’s cutting-edge technology with the flexibility and scalability of hybrid cloud computing, Yotta Power Cloud offers a solution that is not only powerful but also future-proof. With unparalleled reliability, proactive security, and support for emerging technologies, Yotta Power Cloud is the perfect platform for businesses looking to take advantage of the latest IBM p-series machines, without the hefty CapEx associated with it,

For enterprises that want to embrace the future of cloud computing, Yotta Power Cloud offers a flexible, cost-efficient, and secure solution that will accelerate their digital transformation journey.

“Over the past year, the Indian government has drafted and introduced multiple policy instruments which dictate that certain types of data must be stored in servers located physically within the territory of India. These localization gambits have triggered virulent debate among corporations, civil society actors, foreign stakeholders, business guilds, politicians, and governments” – The Internet Society of India.

The vision outlined by the Government of India for establishing digital data sovereignty is approaching its final stages. This implies the practice of storing and securing data, ensuring its residency aligns with regulations. This also involves confining the geographic location where citizens’ data is stored and processed within the governing laws of the country.

Challenges with Public Cloud Providers on Data Sovereignty

Cloud migration in India is growing rapidly, but there are critical challenges that need to be re-examined by various governments and enterprises-

• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Public cloud providers often operate across various jurisdictions, making it challenging to ensure compliance with diverse and evolving data protection and privacy regulations in different regions.
• Data Localisation Concerns: Countries, including India, are moving towards implementing strict regulations that mandate certain data to reside within their borders. Public cloud services may encounter challenges in meeting these residency requirements, potentially resulting in legal and regulatory issues.
• Security and Privacy Risks: Entrusting sensitive data to third-party public cloud providers may raise security and privacy concerns. Organisations must carefully assess the provider’s security measures and data handling practices.
• Limited Control: Users of public cloud services may have limited control over the physical location of their data and the infrastructure supporting it. This lack of control can be a barrier for organisations with specific data residency or sovereignty requirements.
• Data Access and Retrieval Challenges: Depending on the location of the public cloud data center, there may be challenges related to data access speed and latency, impacting performance for users located in different regions.
• Vendor Lock-In: Organisations may face challenges if they decide to switch cloud providers due to contractual and technical complexities. This can result in dependencies on a specific provider, limiting flexibility.
• Inconsistent Security Standards: Different public cloud providers may have varying security standards and practices, making it difficult for organisations to maintain a consistent level of security and compliance across multiple cloud environments.
• Political and Geopolitical Risks: Changes in political or geopolitical landscapes can impact the regulatory environment and potentially affect the data sovereignty landscape, adding uncertainty for organisations relying on public cloud services.

Navigating Regulatory Landscapes

To adhere to this approach, India currently has existing policies that address localisation requirements based on the type of data, particularly in sectors such as banking, telecom, and health. These include:

• RBI Notification on ‘Storage of Payment System Data’, the FDI Policy 2017
• The Unified Access License, and the Companies Act, 2013 and its Rules
• The IRDAI (Outsourcing of Activities by Indian Insurers) Regulations, 2017
• National M2M Roadmap
• Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023
• MEITY – Cloud Policy

These policies largely covered the key components such as enabling innovation, improvement in cyber security and data locational and enhancing national security, protecting against foreign surveillance, and defining strategy towards data sovereignty and localisation. And, considering the Geo-political challenges which the country faces, data localisation and sovereignty are going to be a critical component for policymakers.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has already established the National Government Cloud with empanelled service providers to ensure that sensitive data, including government and defense-related information, is stored locally. This initiative is to be considered as the initial step toward data localisation.

Some international examples of data and consumer protection rules include The US CLOUD Act (2028) China’s Cyber Security Act (2017) and the famous UK and EU GDPR (2018). There are a few industry-specific laws that cover the data localisation principles such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, BaFin, FISMA, GAIA-X, EBA, etc.

Need of Sovereign Cloud Framework

To overcome the globally dominated digital transformation strategies and to ensure data sovereignty and security, the innovation and development of sovereign cloud frameworks become a critical aspect of national technological strategies.

This technology framework should have the capability to provide:

• Data Localisation
• Government Compliances
• Customisation Capabilities

Summary

In summary, to align with the national vision, Government and Private organisations should adopt the Data Location Approach in the cloud computing ecosystem to safeguard critical national data which will serve as a key enabler for economic growth and innovation. Yotta, as a cloud service provider, aligns with this vision by offering cloud services to the government and enterprises. These services are developed in India, hosted in India, and adhere to data location and sovereignty principles.

In today’s swiftly evolving digital realm, the concept of “Cloud Computing” has gained remarkable prominence. Despite its established presence for nearly two decades and the clear indications of its potential to enhance business efficiencies, reduce costs, and confer competitive advantages, a significant portion of the business community has yet to fully embrace it. According to a survey conducted by the International Data Group, 69% of businesses are already leveraging cloud technology in some capacity, while an additional 18% express intentions to integrate cloud-computing solutions in the future. But what precisely does cloud computing entail, and why has it emerged as a transformative force for both enterprises and individuals? This blog post delves into the foundational aspects of cloud services, uncovering the core principles and advantages that have thrust cloud computing into the forefront of contemporary technology.

Cloud Computing: Revolutionising Data Management

In the dynamic digital era, the term “cloud computing” has surged in significance, revolutionising how essential computing services like storage, processing power, networking, and software are delivered through the internet, commonly referred to as “the cloud.” This transformative shift eradicates the need for physical on-site infrastructure, affording users the seamless convenience of remote access to and on-demand utilisation of resources. Effectively creating a virtual domain, the cloud hosts data and applications on remote servers, enabling access from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. Fueled by the escalating data demands of our digitally evolved society, the mainstream adoption of “cloud computing” has become inevitable. As businesses contend with the complexities of upkeeping crucial information, programs, and systems on local servers, the appeal of this solution becomes increasingly apparent. Despite its longstanding presence since the internet’s inception, the widespread integration of this concept within businesses has gained considerable momentum only in recent times.

Seamless Accessibility and Data Storage

Cloud computing functions similarly to web-based email clients, granting users unfettered access to system features and files without the need for local storage. Many individuals unknowingly engage with cloud computing through everyday applications like Gmail, Google Drive, and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, all operating on cloud-based frameworks. Users rely on cloud-hosted servers for data storage, ensuring secure accessibility. While advantageous for personal use, these services hold even greater value for businesses, facilitating secure, efficient access to extensive data volumes through online network connections. In a connectivity-driven world, cloud computing revolutionises data management, fundamentally transforming how both individuals and organisations interact with and harness their digital resources.

Benefits of Cloud Computing:

• Scalability and Flexibility: One of the primary advantages of cloud services is their scalability and flexibility. Businesses can easily adjust their computing resources up or down to match their requirements at any given time. This elasticity allows organisations to handle varying workloads and accommodate changes in demand without the need for significant upfront investments in hardware or infrastructure.
• Cost-Efficiency: Cloud computing eliminates the need for businesses to invest heavily in purchasing and maintaining physical hardware. Instead, they can opt for a pay-as-you-go model, where they only pay for the computing resources they actually use. This cost-effective approach is particularly beneficial for startups and small businesses with limited budgets, as well as larger enterprises seeking to optimise their IT expenditures.
• Accessibility: Cloud services provide the advantage of remote accessibility, enabling employees to access data, applications, and resources from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. This level of accessibility fosters collaboration among teams spread across different locations, leading to increased productivity and streamlined workflows.
• Reliability and Redundancy: Reputable cloud providers often offer robust infrastructure with redundant systems and backup capabilities. This redundancy ensures data integrity and minimises the risk of downtime due to hardware failures or other technical issues. Cloud services often include built-in data backup and disaster recovery options, providing businesses with peace of mind regarding the safety of their critical information.
• Innovation and Agility: Cloud computing empowers businesses to rapidly deploy new applications and services without the delays associated with procuring and setting up physical hardware. This agility allows organisations to seize market opportunities more quickly and experiment with new ideas, fostering innovation and a competitive edge. Moreover, the cloud’s infrastructure can support advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics, enabling businesses to harness these tools without the need for extensive infrastructure investment.

To summarise, cloud computing has fundamentally transformed the way both businesses and individuals engage with technology, and Yotta proudly leads this groundbreaking technological shift. While cloud computing presents an array of advantages, Yotta prioritises the paramount task of addressing security apprehensions and fortifying data protection. Our robust security measures seamlessly complement the security protocols of businesses, ensuring an unparalleled level of safeguarding for sensitive information.

Yotta’s Enterprise Cloud Services, hosted within the world’s second-largest Tier IV datacenter-Yotta NM1, located in Navi Mumbai and Yotta D1 data center in Greater Noida equips businesses with a resilient, secure, and exceptionally cost-effective range of cloud services encompassing compute, storage, connectivity, and business continuity. Enriched with a comprehensive suite of features, it is accompanied by an impressive infrastructure uptime SLA of 99.99%. Our self-service portal empowers you with complete control, and the optional managed cloud services ensure round-the-clock assistance from certified cloud professionals.

The transition from traditional on-premises infrastructure to cloud services heralds a realm of new possibilities, unlocking dimensions of scalability, efficiency, and innovation. As technology perpetually evolves, embracing cloud computing transcends mere choice—it evolves into a strategic necessity for maintaining a competitive edge within the dynamic landscape of today’s digital world.

Cloud is not just a lever for controlling costs, but also a huge catalyst or transformational agent for being the foundation for enabling quick adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and Blockchain.

India is an aspiring and incomparable nation when it comes to digital ambitions and scale. Landmark projects like Aadhaar, the Aarogya Setu app, or DigiLocker, are just some of the examples of India’s digital prowess.

Given the scale at which government departments operate, cloud is the perfect platform for accelerating e-governance initiatives. From a policy point of view, already a series of initiatives have been taken to ensure that India has a strategic advantage concerning the cloud.

The Government of India has announced GI Cloud (now called ‘Meghraj’) – an initiative to ensure optimum usage of IT spending by the government while simultaneously giving the impetus to improve the adoption of e-governance initiatives using the cloud. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has created a reference architecture to guide government departments to build their cloud deployment architecture with recommended components and activities.

The National Digital Communications Policy 2018 envisions establishing India as a global hub for cloud computing, content hosting and delivery, and data communication systems and services. It aims to do this by enabling regulatory frameworks and incentives for promoting the establishment of international data centers, content delivery networks, and interconnect exchanges in India.

Similarly, the National Data Center Policy, which aims at making India a Global Data Center hub, promotes investment in the sector, propels digital economy growth, and enables provisioning of trusted hosting infrastructure to fulfil the growing demand.

The potential of the cloud

In India, cloud computing has ensured the success of national initiatives and schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission, e-Hospital, National Scholarship, My-Gov and e-Transport. One of India’s most landmark initiatives, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) uses a multi-cloud architecture to ensure scalability. Today, the GeM serves over 50,000 buyer organisations and has a listing of over 19 lakh products and more than 80,000 services.

NIC’s SaaS-based service, S3WaaS, has empowered district administrators to create, configure and deploy scalable and accessible websites without much effort and technical knowledge. Another successful example is DigiLocker, a cloud-based platform for the issuance, sharing, and verification of critical lifelong documents or certificates. With more than 57.13 million users and 4.27 billion issued documents, DigiLocker has proved to be one of the biggest success stories of cloud in the government.

Last year, understanding the critical importance of the cloud in providing the foundation for enabling the growth of emerging technologies such as AI, India’s national policy think-tank organisation, NITI Aayog, suggested the creation of an AI-based cloud computing platform called AIRAWAT (AI Research, Analytics and Knowledge Assimilation).

Similarly, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), announced last year that it had gone fully digital with the launch of a unique cloud-based and AI-powered big analytics platform. All project documents and correspondences related to NHAI will be stored in a cloud-based data lake, which is linked with GIS tagging and a unique project ID, so that project data can be retrieved easily from any location.

The Indian Railways has given the responsibility of deploying open source Hospital Management Information System (HMIS), an integrated clinical information system, for its 125 health facilities and 650 polyclinics across the country for improved hospital administration and patient healthcare, using a cloud platform.

Emerging use cases of cloud

With the cost of providing compute and storage capabilities coming down drastically, it makes much more sense for government departments to leverage the cloud. The other big reason is the quick pace of adoption for emerging technologies such as AI, ML, Big Data Analytics, or IoT.

In India, many states have proactively taken several pro-cloud initiatives. For example, the Government of Maharashtra in 2018, became the first state to unveil a public cloud policy. Looking at the benefits of cloud-based storage, the Government of Maharashtra mandated its departments to shift their data storage requirements to the cloud.

Similarly, in October 2020, the Government of Telangana announced that it was making it mandatory for all its departments to deploy their existingor new applications on the cloud except for those applications that contained sensitive or confidential data.

Another classic example is Smart Cities, wherein various state governments are leveraging cloud and other digital technologies to provide next generation services to citizens. Madhya Pradesh was the first state to launch India’s first cloud-based Common Integrated Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Centre and Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC).

The ICCC is enabling the Madhya Pradesh state administration to monitor and administer multiple city civic utilities and citizen services across seven cities in the state through a central cloud. Now, other states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telanagana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are following the suit.

These examples highlight why the move to the cloud is now essential or critical for government departments. Due to the capacity constraints, there are instances where the state data center has faced challenges in scaling up and meeting the requirements in a time-bound manner, which has led to poor application downtime and poor user experience.

Key trends that government departments should look out for

Today, the Covid-19 pandemic has made it imperative for accelerating digital delivery of public services. This has put immense pressure on government departments to quickly roll out new platforms or initiatives. With support for emerging technologies such as AI, ML or Blockchain, the cloud is the perfect platform for testing out new innovations.

The cloud is also a proven platform for automation – a critical need in government departments today, as they grapple with challenges related to skilled manpower and scaling up to meet public demand for services. For example, AI-powered chatbots can answer common queries easily, while RPA can be used to automate routine tasks.

The pandemic has also made remote working a reality now. This is applicable to the government sector too, as it also needs to give government employees the same flexibility as given to employees from the private sector. The cloud is perfect for giving employees secure and reliable access to government applications and data.

The cloud allows government departments to acquire resources based on actual requirements, with the capability to increase or decrease computing resources as per demand. Globally, and in India too, government departments are increasingly feeling challenged in containing costs and providing the required infrastructure.

For instance, the state-owned Bank of Baroda has become the first public sector bank to consider Work from Home policy for a section of its employees. For Bank of Baroda to leverage staff resources better, the cloud will prove to be an excellent platform for creating flexibility without significant corresponding investments.

This flexibility opens up several possibilities – one can think of organisations such as Income Tax which receives huge load for filing returns in the last few days of the deadline given by the government. There are many such examples of departments across the government, which receive seasonal demand spikes. Another notable example is the dedicated web portal called Co-WIN (COVID -19 Vaccine Intelligence Network) which has been launched recently.

This is a complete cloud-based IT solution for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Covid-19 vaccination program in the country. While we keep hearing about technical glitches in the Co-WIN platform or the portal getting crashed (when millions of people recently rushed to register for the COVID vaccination), one cannot deny the fact that without the cloud, an initiative of this scale and size would be unimaginable.

As the above examples show, the cloud today is not just a lever for controlling costs, but also a huge catalyst or transformational agent for being the foundation for enabling quick adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and Blockchain. Today, the question for government departments is not why you should adopt the cloud, but when and how fast you can use the cloud to your advantage.