In order to benefit from cloud computing while avoiding certain risks, many enterprises are turning to private clouds, which just include service layers contained within their firewalls. They feel and look like public clouds, but private clouds may actually be a lot less reliable and secure.

If you consider conventional wisdom, you will believe that public clouds are insecure. In fact, you may think that the only way to meet your business organization’s security requirements is to implement a private cloud.

According to industry experts, large hardware and software vendors have been solely responsible for making the public believe that public clouds are less secure. They have tried to introduce uncertainty, fear and doubt in the minds of users. Unfortunately, they can’t be blamed.

Private clouds mean a lot of new gear. Vendors will never want their customers to switch to public cloud security, unless a public cloud belongs to the vendor in question. You don’t need to be fooled by marketing and advertising. Public clouds are way more secure than private clouds. Here are some reasons why:

Continuous hacking attempts have strengthened security. Public cloud servers always seem to be a juicy target for hackers. When hackers feel there’s good stuff inside these servers, they make an attempt to hack them. This is an obvious fact.

Over the years, many hackers have tried to attack the defenses of Microsoft Windows Azure, Amazon Web Services and so on. Due to this, public cloud providers take constant measures to keep their servers secure. They come up with new measures and keep everything updated. This makes public clouds a very hard target.

Best security people. Public cloud security always attracts the best security people. Think about it: If you were a big-time cloud security expert, where would you like to work? Amazon, or just a big insurance company? The answer is quite clear.

Latest security gear. Public cloud providers keep building new data centers on a regular basis. As a result, they also keep buying new gear for them. Public cloud providers always have the latest security gear to keep your information secure and protected.

No perimeter complacency. Most corporations think that their DMZs and firewalls provide adequate security. They think that everything on the internal network will be secure. They think that they have completely missed the Internet, viruses and e-mails.

However, they don’t consider what would happen if someone downloads malware to the corporate network through a simple smartphone. Before you know it, the enterprise will want a public cloud.

Staff competence. Corporations hire the best guys for their network security. However, there’s a simple way to check competence. Throw a party for your security guys. Just give it two hours and some drinks. Do you see the guy flirting with the receptionist? Maybe you see a guy with a lampshade over his head?

The answer is right in front of you. You need professionals to manage cloud security. Public cloud providers hire the best in the business. Their security is responsible, sincere and competent.

Penetration testing. Public cloud providers make sure their servers are tested on a regular basis. When companies choose private clouds, they don’t consider something important. Most companies only ask their testers to run a series of security tests. At the same time, they also ask a third party to run these tests. When they clear, the company is assured that its data is secure and protected.

However, they don’t give much thought to one simple thing: Hackers keep changing their tactics, and data will only be secure until hackers find a new way to attack. On the other hand, public cloud providers keep testing for new attacks, and they make sure their servers are always updated.

Building a secure private cloud is a lot harder than it sounds. It requires a lot of extra work and resources. On the other hand, public cloud providers take care of everything on your behalf. Private clouds are in no way more secure than public clouds.

Hassan Bawab is founder and CEO of digital marketing solutions provider Magic Logix.