What is a private cloud?

A private cloud is a computing space that only one organization can access, and it exclusively owns resources such as storage, network, CPU etc.  

Private clouds are either hosted in a central data location or provided by a third-party supplier. They’re preferred by private businesses or individuals who need more control over their security.

Private clouds are ideal for enterprises that handle sensitive data, the ones that need custom software deployments, and those who want to upgrade their performance. 

Public vs private cloud

Let’s say you live in an apartment that has a front desk guard, maybe even a camera, and a locked main entrance. Everyone else in the building relies on the same security system. It’s easy to have, but you don’t know how it is managed, and worse, if someone slips past the building’s security, they can access your apartment. That’s how the public cloud operates.

Rather than depending on your building’s own security system, you can install and control your own door’s lock. Maybe you even add smart features to it and reinforce it. You decide who has a key to your place. You can change the lock anytime, and no one else can enter your place without your permission. That’s how a private cloud works.

While they both offer similar services, what sets them apart is the accessibility and ownership of said services. Public clouds are owned by third-party vendors, and they’re easily accessed. On the other hand, private clouds can only be accessed by one business (on-premise or offered by a third party), so they can have more control and stricter security over their data. 

Public clouds have nice benefits such as accessibility, affordability, and scalability. Private clouds stand out for their privacy and security.

Private cloud examples

Private clouds have a wide range of applications, but below are some examples where they are used:

• Finance: Banks and similar institutions handle overall sensitive data, especially when it’s customer related. Private cloud gives them the possibility of storing and managing their data through a secure channel. 

• Healthcare: Patients’ personal information needs to be safely secured. By using private cloud services (storage, networks, etc.), these institutions can keep up with regulations such as HIPAA.

• Government: Private cloud is important for government institutions, since they can control their data to ensure security and compliance. They also use it to manage their infrastructure. 

• Companies that have specific security requirements.

• Companies that can’t use public clouds due to their geographical unavailability. 

Private cloud security

Unlike public clouds, private clouds are known for the extra control over their security policies. However, the organization is entirely responsible for the security measures that are taken in place.

Let’s see how private cloud security is enhanced:

• Encryption: For data protection.

• Access control: Companies manage their own authentication, authorization, and role-based access so nobody else but their authorized users can access it.

• Monitoring: So they can detect and respond to security threats.

• Firewall configurations: For the control of network traffic.

Benefits of private cloud

Compared to public clouds, private clouds offer enhanced security and more control over them. They can also be customized more, infrastructure-wise too. 

Here are key benefits:

• Performance: Because the resources are dedicated to a specific organization, they can be optimized to get a faster response and a reduced downtime. 

• Compliance: Institutions, including government and healthcare, have to respect a few meticulous regulations, which private clouds can help with.

• Increased security: Unlike public clouds, security in private clouds can be enhanced, so they can reduce the risk of breaches and unauthorized access. 

Bottom line is, a private cloud helps those organizations that need something reliable, especially if they have specific requirements and they also don’t want to depend on another vendor. There’s also the possibility of merging private clouds with public clouds, namely hybrid cloud.