Cloud computing presents a great deal of potential for businesses. However, many business owners still harbor fears that prevent them from moving their company’s data and operations to the cloud. One of the primary causes of these fears is misinformation. If business owners and their employees resolved some of their misconceptions and understood the cloud more thoroughly, adoption of the cloud would increase exponentially, and more companies would enjoy the advantages this technology has to offer. Below are some common cloud myths that inspire unnecessary fear or hesitation among potential adopters.

Business Owners know all there is to know about the Cloud.

Only 46 percent of small business owners understand the cloud at all, while 27 percent of businesses say that they don’t have a clear understanding of cloud computing. Because of this knowledge disparity, over 40 percent of all small business owners are avoiding the cloud entirely. If business owners were better educated on the cloud, they’d be able to make informed decisions about what cloud services would actually aid them.

Small Businesses that use the Cloud Lose all Control Over their Data and Applications.

Contrary to popular belief, the cloud is not an “all or nothing” technology. There’s a variety of customizable cloud computing solutions available to businesses, ranging from packages with full-service hosting to packages with minimal provider involvement. Businesses that prefer to keep control of their data can do so by choosing a package with less involvement from the provider, and even those businesses that choose to move data to the cloud with a full-service package don’t have to give up control of everything. In fact, many businesses choose to keep some of their data and applications in-house even after adopting cloud computing.

Cloud Computing isn’t Secure.

Although the cloud can pose some security risks, users can eliminate most of these risks through careful planning and good decisions. For example, businesses that use public cloud providers can reduce security risks by choosing a provider with a good reputation for security and multiple security measures already in place. Businesses can further reduce this threat by retaining their most sensitive data on their own storage systems and teaching their employees good security practices.

Businesses Lose Files in the Cloud

It’s true that some businesses have lost important data stored on cloud databases when the provider went bankrupt or suffered a system crash. That’s not normal, though. Most cloud vendors back up server data regularly and have automatic failover procedures to keep your information secure and readily available. I you’re still worried about losing data, just take some extra precautions. By choosing a hosting provider with a strong customer base, businesses can reduce the chances of losing their files to a host’s bankruptcy. Businesses can also protect their files by purchasing a hosting package that includes cloud backup services.

As with any technology, cloud computing does pose some risks. However, for most businesses the benefits of cloud computing more than compensate for the potential drawbacks. By making an effort to learn more about the cloud, business owners can calm their fears and feel more confident about utilizing the cloud to meet their data and processing needs.