Cloud computing is here to stay, with many credit unions eitheractively adopting or at least considering cloud computing at leastin some form. One aspect of cloud computing that credit unionsconstantly underestimate is bandwidth connection. We have becomeaccustomed to LANs at 100Mbps and many of us even at 1Gbps forquite a while now. We connect to our servers at that high speed andthe data moves across our LAN almost instantaneously.

Now we are moving our servers to the cloud and we forget thatthis means we are connecting to them via our Internet link, whichis rarely fast, and almost never 100Mbps. So, one tip – whenyou move your servers to the cloud, consider how relevant accessspeed is for your users; if very relevant, keep the server in-houseuntil you can guarantee very high bandwidth internetconnection.

Another aspect of the same issue – continuity of service. Wemove to the cloud because this guarantees redundancy and continuityof service, but we forget to get a second Internet link for our ownLAN. So if our ISP connection goes out and we lose connectivity toour servers “in the cloud” – how is our productivity impacted? Either get a secondary ISP, or don't move to the cloud thoseservers that are fundamental for your users' productivity.

There are several products that guarantee remote access to thecloud servers without the need for a VPN. I cringe every time I seethat. None of these products can guarantee the same level of accesssecurity for credit unions as a VPN. It is not only a matter ofencryption; rather, it is a matter of identification, credentials,access control.

An SSL VPN connection requires a private certificate and key –that is strong authentication. An application like RDP simplyrequires a login ID on the server and an open port in the firewall. Hence the security of your server at that point is only asstrong as your weakest password. Remember, hackers have allthe time they want and know all the tricks. You expose a login IDto them and sooner or later they'll find a way in.

Networking in the cloud is rather simple – usually it ends upbeing a small subnet with a handful of servers connected to avirtual switch, behind a virtual firewall, connected to a virtualrouter.

One thing I would recommend – ensure your servers are not in anyway accessible from any other subnet that doesn't belong toyou. This may come as a surprise, but there are hosting companiesthat do not properly enforce this elementary aspect of networkingand lump many servers on one subnet even if they don't belongto one customer!

Pierluigi Stella ischief technology officer at Network Box USA in Houston,Texas.