Create A Secure Private Network For Cloud Computing

The Drawbacks of a Public (Internet-Only) Network

After identifying your cloud computing goals, consider the type of network you want. Although a public network that uses the Internet to transport all traffic may seem like an attractive choice, it involves significant trade-offs for performance and security. Applications may not perform properly and/or bandwidth may not be available for mission-critical applications. Your network may suffer latency, jitter, and packet loss.

For performance, a public network provider using the Internet can only deliver a “best effort” priority level that applies to all traffic. This limitation exists because all Internet traffic is vulnerable to moment-by-moment congestion levels and routing path availability, which can render your applications unusable. Applications on a public network may create user frustration if the network delivers a slow response or when access is blocked because of Internet problems.

Security is another critical concern in using public networks. Private Networks, MPLS in particular, are less susceptible to Denial of Service (DOS) and other attacks than networks that utilize the public network for site-to-site communications. Additionally, although anti-virus, intrusion detection, and intrusion prevention services may be available, these services are usually applied only at the customer premises, which may be too late for protecting data and applications from unauthorized access, data theft, and disruption.

Together, the risk of network latency and security threats in a public network may outweigh the advantages of moving to a cloud environment in order to reduce computing costs and IT staff levels.

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