Post Syndicated from Kari Rivas original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-truth-about-cloud-security-costs-why-high-costs-dont-always-mean-better-protection/

When evaluating cloud providers, cost is often the most visible factor—but in enterprise IT, information security (InfoSec), and compliance, security is always the first (and likely most important) concern. As a technology leader, you know that determining “acceptable” risk is a moving target, but you’re likely also regularly squeezed by budget pressures and a mandate to contribute to the company’s bottom line. 

Taking a chance on providers with lower price tags might feel like too big of a risk—lower-cost providers must be sacrificing something, and all too often, that something is security. Right?

It’s a fair question, but the answer might surprise you. Today, we’re talking about how specialized cloud providers provide surprising value—and even provide security benefits—when compared with traditional, hyperscaler architectures. Let’s talk about what you need to know to evaluate a cloud provider’s security posture.

How specialized cloud providers provide security benefits

In theory, cloud architecture encourages redundancy. But in practice, many companies—even those using multi-cloud strategies—tend to consolidate key services like authentication and orchestration with a single vendor. When that vendor’s services go down, it doesn’t matter that your data is replicated across three availability zones in the same data center. If you can’t log in to access it, your redundancy becomes purely theoretical. This year alone, there have been major outages that had widespread consequences from the likes of Google, IBM cloud, and others.

Specialized cloud providers and multi-cloud strategies provide inherent benefits here.

• Vendor transparency: Open cloud providers publish clear, detailed practices around architecture, encryption, and compliance rather than burying them behind opaque marketing claims. This transparency allows your teams to independently validate security assurances.
• Avoiding lock-in: Multi-cloud strategies ensure you’re not beholden to a single vendor’s security practices. If one provider falls short, data replication and redundancy across platforms can maintain both compliance and resilience.
• Risk distribution: By spreading workloads across providers, organizations mitigate the risk of a single point of failure, outage, or vendor breach.
• Compliance flexibility: Different providers may align more strongly with specific frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), giving enterprises options to meet evolving regulatory demands.

This means that organizations don’t have to choose between cost efficiency and security—they can and should get both.

How to evaluate a cloud provider’s security posture

Choosing the right cloud provider isn’t just about price, features, or performance—it’s about knowing they can safeguard your data and prove it. Here are key areas to assess:

1. Architecture & physical security
   • Does the provider operate its own infrastructure or rely on generic colocation facilities?
   • What physical safeguards (biometrics, restricted access, surveillance) protect the data centers?
2. Encryption & data protection
   • Is data encrypted both in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest (AES-256 or equivalent)?
   • Are key management options available, including customer-managed keys?
   • Is immutability (Object Lock or write once, read many (WORM) storage) supported for ransomware defense?
3. Access & identity controls
   • Are granular permissioning and role-based access (RBAC) controls available?
   • Does the provider support single sign on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and integration with enterprise identity systems?
   • Can admins maintain clear audit logs of all access and changes?
4. Compliance & certifications
   • Which third-party attestations does the provider maintain (SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, ISO)?
   • Can they provide signed agreements (such as Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)) as needed for regulated industries?
5. Resilience & multi-cloud strategy
   • Do they offer replication across regions or the ability to integrate into a multi-cloud strategy?
   • How quickly can you move workloads or data out if you need to change vendors or access data in case of emergency?

By using this evaluation framework, IT leaders can look past marketing promises and price tags, focusing on verifiable controls and independent certifications.

The hyperscaler tax for cloud security

Many enterprises assume that higher cloud storage costs from hyperscalers like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud translate directly into better security. In reality, much of that premium is a “hyperscaler tax” driven by complex business models, bundled services, and legacy infrastructure—not inherently superior protection. Specialized cloud providers can often deliver the same enterprise-grade security controls—encryption, compliance certifications, access management—without the inflated price tag, proving that security and affordability are not mutually exclusive.

Building a better mousetrap: The innovation behind Backblaze B2

From the beginning, Backblaze has architected its storage solution to be both performant and cost-effective. And, by specializing in storage (as opposed to the myriad of solutions offered by, say, Amazon Web Services and other hyperscalers), Backblaze is able to optimize for the economics of storage and storage alone.

To help you get past the price tag and into the technical details, let’s break down the pillars of Backblaze B2 security and compliance.

Architecture and physical security: The foundation of trust

Our security starts with our physical infrastructure. Our data centers are designed for 11 nines of data durability and are staffed 24/7/365. They feature:

• Best-in-class security features: Biometric security, ID checks, and multi-layered access controls.
• A purpose-built infrastructure: From Backblaze Storage Pods to projects like Shard Stash and ongoing feature releases, the Backblaze platform is designed for maximum data durability and security.

This physical and architectural security is the bedrock of our service, and it’s backed by industry-standard certifications like SOC 2 Type 2 certification.

Data storage security: Protecting data at rest and in transit

Data security is a core tenet of our platform. From the moment your data leaves your system until it is stored on our pods, it is protected by multiple layers of encryption.

• Encryption in transit: All files are transmitted to Backblaze B2 using an encrypted TLS connection.
• Encryption at rest: Your data is encrypted before it is stored on disk. We offer two options for server-side encryption with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256):
  • Server-side encryption (SSE) with Backblaze managed keys (SSE-B2): We handle the key management for you, providing seamless, built-in protection.
  • SSE with customer managed keys (SSE-C): For organizations with strict compliance requirements, you can manage your own keys, giving you complete control over your data’s access.
• Object Lock for immutability: Our Object Lock feature provides a powerful layer of ransomware protection. Using a write-once, read-many (WORM) model, it prevents files from being modified, manipulated, or deleted for a customer-determined retention period. This is an essential tool for compliance and disaster recovery.
• Cloud Replication: For businesses with high-availability or geographical redundancy requirements, Backblaze B2 supports automatic replication of data across different regions, ensuring your data is always available and safe from regional outages or other incidents.

Access management security: Granting control and ensuring accountability

Controlling who can access your data is paramount. We provide granular, enterprise-grade access management controls that give you full command over your storage:

• Fine-grained API key control: Create and manage accounts, groups, and specific data access permissions with robust API key control.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) & single sign-on (SSO): We offer multiple account authentication options, including MFA and SSO via providers like Google Workspace and Office 365, to prevent unauthorized access.
• Comprehensive logging: Backblaze provides detailed logs and reports on all activities within your account, so you can maintain a clear audit trail.

Compliance: Demonstrating our commitment to best practices

Security is not just a feature; it’s a commitment that’s verified by independent third parties. Backblaze has achieved a number of security and compliance attestations, including:

• SOC 2, Type 2: We have been independently audited and certified for SOC 2, Type 2 compliance, demonstrating our commitment to protecting customer data.
• HIPAA: For business customers who are Covered Entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), we can provide a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) upon request.
• PCI-DSS: Backblaze’s adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) is supported by our use of Stripe to handle card information and our internal security controls.
• GDPR: We adhere to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy policies and provide Data Processing Agreement Addendums (DPAs) for EEA/EU and UK residents.

While some competitors may also offer these certifications, Backblaze’s pricing model is built to ensure you don’t have to pay a premium for them. Our efficiencies mean that we can pass the savings directly to you without compromising on the security and compliance that your business demands.

Specialized cloud storage: Enabling enterprises to evaluate their best options

In the end, our goal is to free you from the false choice between security and affordability. The reality is that the high cost of some cloud providers is a result of their complex, multi-tiered business models—not a reflection of superior security. Backblaze’s commitment to building a focused, innovative, and transparent cloud storage solution allows us to deliver on our promise: enterprise-grade security and compliance, at a fraction of the cost.

The post The Truth About Cloud Security Costs: Why High Costs Don’t Always Mean Better Protection appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from David Johnson original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-storage-myths-debunked-part-four-managing-multiple-clouds-is-too-complicated/

Today’s myth feels familiar, because it’s exactly what major cloud providers want you to believe:

Multi-cloud? Sounds like a recipe for chaos. Best stick with one and avoid the hassle.

On the surface, it sounds reasonable. The “big three” clouds promote their all-in-one ecosystems as seamless and unified. One provider, one bill, one console. That should make life easier, right?

Not so fast. The promise of simplicity often hides a different reality: deep complexity, rigid architecture, and vendor lock-in. For many cloud-native teams, what’s pitched as convenience ends up costing time, money, and agility.

This is the final post in our blog series debunking persistent myths about cloud storage. (You can read the first, second, and third articles in the series to get up-to-date.) And, if you’ve ever been told that multi-cloud is messy or risky, this one’s for you.

Integrated ≠ simple

The idea that one provider equals less overhead is seductive. But in practice, integration can mean entanglement. Instead of reducing operational drag, it creates a tightly woven web of interdependent services and proprietary systems, which makes changes slow and expensive.

The all-in-one trap

Big cloud providers’ platforms are sprawling by design. They’re built to meet every need under one roof. However, the supposed benefit of simplicity falls apart once you actually start using that provider’s full range of services. 

When it comes to storage alone, teams must navigate:

• Multi-tier systems (hot, cool, cold) with different costs, speeds, and access methods, each requiring its own performance and cost configuration.
• Complex lifecycle policies and scripts to automate data movement between tiers.

• Intricate IAM setups to manage roles, policies, and permissions across services.

• Proprietary APIs and tooling that create migration headaches and limit portability.
• Console UIs and behaviors that change depending on region or storage class, adding to the learning curve.

• Deep interdependencies across services, where a small change in storage can ripple through compute, networking, and security layers.

What starts as a unified experience quickly becomes a maze of shifting rules and unstable configurations. And the more deeply your architecture relies on these moving parts, the more frustrating your operations become.

Frustration, not flexibility

Not only is it tedious to manage all of this, but it can be risky. Miss a lifecycle rule, and you might incur unexpected fees. Misconfigure access policies, and you could lose visibility into or even access to your own data.

These aren’t edge cases. They’re everyday realities in cloud-native environments where time is tight, systems are complex, and DevOps teams are stretched thin. Here’s what that might look like in practice:

• A developer spins up a test environment without realizing data is landing in a high-cost tier.
• An SRE responds to a latency issue, only to discover the data lives in cold storage and restoring it generates retrieval costs and delays.
• A backup job fails silently because of a permissions misconfiguration buried deep in nested IAM roles.

And when something breaks, support isn’t always fast or personal. Unless you’re a top-tier customer, you’re likely working through ticketing systems, documentation loops, or community forums.

These moments don’t just cause frustration—they drain time, inflate costs, and hinder your team’s ability to move fast with confidence.

Complexity isn’t a multi-cloud problem. It’s a design problem.

Let’s revisit the myth: Multi-cloud is too complicated.

It’s an understandable concern, but one that’s often based on frustration inside a major cloud provider’s ecosystem. When teams talk about complexity, they’re usually describing the friction that comes from navigating sprawling services, managing brittle configurations, and troubleshooting opaque policies within one provider.

The real issue isn’t how many clouds you use. It’s how much complexity one provider can introduce when you try to adapt, integrate, or scale. Vendor-specific tooling, tightly coupled services, and unpredictable costs create the illusion of simplicity—until you need to do something the platform didn’t anticipate.

That’s not a multi-cloud problem. That’s a design problem.

Making multi-cloud work for you

For many teams, multi-cloud isn’t a grand strategy, but something that happens organically. AI workloads move to GPU providers. Content gets delivered through specialized CDNs. Backups shift to more cost-effective and geographically separated storage. Whether by design or necessity, most modern architectures already span multiple clouds.

So the smarter question isn’t “Should we avoid it?” It’s “How do we make it sustainable without adding unnecessary complexity?”

That’s where Backblaze B2 comes in.

Backblaze B2 is purpose-built to make multi-cloud not only possible, but practical—for DevOps, SREs, and developers alike. It’s focused, interoperable, and refreshingly straightforward:

• Always-hot storage: No tier juggling. No lifecycle scripts. Just fast, consistent access.
• S3-compatible APIs: Seamlessly integrates with the tools and platforms you already use, such as Terraform, Kubernetes, ArgoCD, boto3, and more.

• Streamlined IAM and UI: Control access and monitor usage without wading through layers of enterprise-grade configuration.

• Free egress: Move data where you need it and when you need to, without the surprise charges that make multi-cloud cost-prohibitive.

Many teams start small with offloading archives, mirroring backup buckets, or feeding GPU pipelines for AI training. As modular architectures grow, Backblaze B2 scales with them, but without the rigidity or lock-in.

In fact, a 2025 Enterprise Strategy Group study found that many operational tasks, such as storage deployments, storage management, and integration with the hardware and software that they already used took up to 92% less time.

The simple interface contrasted sharply with other Cloud Service Providers’ interfaces that have confusing navigation and multiple options to sort through.

—Enterprise Strategy Group, “Analyzing the Economic Benefits of the Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage Platform,” May 2025.

Multi-cloud doesn’t have to be messy. With the right storage layer, it becomes your cleanest, most strategic advantage.

Want to dig even deeper?

Download the full ebook New Cloud-Native Times Call for New Cloud Storage Approaches to explore how modular, interoperable strategies are changing the cloud-native game.

The post Cloud Storage Myths Debunked, Part Four: Managing Multiple Clouds Is Too Complicated appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Kari Rivas original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-gold-standard-of-cloud-security-why-our-soc2-type-2-compliance-sets-backblaze-apart/

As more organizations rely on the cloud to store critical data, the stakes around compliance and security keep rising. Regulations like GDPR and HIPAA are putting pressure on businesses to demonstrate that their data handling practices are sound, and customers increasingly want evidence—not just assurances—that their data is protected.

Every cloud provider claims to be “secure.” But as a risk owner and decision-maker, you need more than a marketing tagline. You need proof. That’s where SOC 2 Type 2 compliance comes in. At Backblaze, we don’t just meet this benchmark—we go beyond it. Unlike many cloud storage providers (CSPs) that may have only SOC 2 compliant data centers, Backblaze has also undergone the rigorous SOC 2 assessment at the company level.

What is SOC 2, and why does it matter?

SOC 2 (aka System and Organization Controls) is an assessment created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It evaluates how service providers operate based on Trust Services Criteria:

• Security
• Availability
• Confidentiality
• Privacy
• Processing integrity

Every SOC 2 assessment includes Security as the foundation, and organizations may also be evaluated against additional criteria that align with their services. Our assessment covers both Security and Availability, demonstrating that our systems are protected against unauthorized access and are resilient, reliable, and consistently accessible when you need them.

At Backblaze, we’ve put the right controls in place to meet these standards, such as:

• Strong access management policies.
• Redundant infrastructure to protect uptime.
• Regular penetration testing and incident response reviews.

The business impact? You can rely on us to keep your data safe and accessible—without adding unnecessary risk to your operations.

Type 1 vs. Type 2: A key distinction

There are two types of SOC 2 examinations:

• Type 1 shows that a company has the right controls in place at a specific point in time.
• Type 2 goes further by validating that those controls are consistently followed and effective over a defined period.

Backblaze has achieved and consistently maintained SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. That distinction matters—it means you’re not just trusting that we say the right things, but that we do the right things, day in and day out.

What SOC 2 compliance delivers

SOC 2 compliance isn’t just a checkbox exercise. It provides meaningful assurances that directly affect your business:

• Risk mitigation: Independent validation that controls work as intended.
• Trust and credibility: Confidence that your cloud provider takes security seriously.
• Vendor due diligence: Simplifies compliance reviews for your team.
• Data integrity & availability: Assurance that your data remains reliable and accessible.

In short, SOC 2 compliance reduces uncertainty—making it easier for you to move forward with cloud adoption and scale with confidence.

SOC 2 data centers vs. SOC 2 as a company

It’s important to distinguish between compliance at the data center level and compliance at the company level.

• SOC 2 compliant data centers: These examinations focus on the physical facility—things like access controls, environmental monitoring, and fire suppression. Many CSPs rely on SOC 2 certified facilities.
• SOC 2 compliance as a company: This examination covers the provider’s internal operations, including policies, processes, and personnel practices. It examines how the service is built, run, and maintained.

Backblaze offers both. Our data centers are SOC 2 compliant, and our company is also SOC 2 Type 2 compliant.

Think of it like a bank: Secure vaults are critical (data centers), but so are strong internal policies and trained staff (company compliance). And, of course, you want both. That’s what we call defense in depth—end-to-end assurance that reduces risk and builds trust.

Surprisingly, you’ll find that many CSPs have SOC 2 data centers, but do not hold SOC 2 compliance at the company level.

Inside the SOC 2 audit process

SOC 2 evaluations are performed by independent third-party CPA firms, which ensures the results are objective and credible. The process includes:

1. Scoping: Identifying which systems and processes are reviewed.
2. Control documentation: Recording policies and procedures.
3. Evidence collection: Proving that controls are in place.
4. Testing & evaluation: Verifying effectiveness over time.
5. Reporting: Delivering findings in a formal report.

At Backblaze, this isn’t a one-and-done exercise. We undergo annual audits, maintain robust monitoring, and test our systems regularly. For example:

• Incident response plans, playbooks, and processes are reviewed and updated as needed. 
• Penetration testing, the public bug bounty program, and our vulnerability management processes are designed to proactively identify, evaluate, prioritize, and remediate potential vulnerabilities.   
• Change management ensures updates don’t introduce unnecessary risk.

Each step reinforces our commitment to security and transparency—so you don’t have to take our word for it.

Policies that protect your data

Policies and processes are the backbone of an effective SOC 2 program. At Backblaze, these policies aren’t just written down; they’re embedded in how we operate every day.

Change management (Security, Availability)

Changes that impact our systems, infrastructure, or software are controlled, tested, and approved before release. This prevents unauthorized or accidental changes that could disrupt operations or compromise security. For customers, this means you can rely on a stable, reliable storage platform that won’t jeopardize your workflows.

Logging & monitoring (Security, Availability)

We log system activities, monitor access attempts, and alert on high priority security events around the clock. We have implemented features such as Anomaly Alerts to support notifying customers about  unusual file upload and download patterns. Bucket Access Logs give you visibility into who accessed your data and when—adding both accountability and an audit trail for incident response.

Media handling & drive destruction (Security)

Physical media like drives are tightly controlled throughout their lifecycle. When a drive reaches end-of-life, it undergoes a secure erasure process. If it is not able to be securely erased, the device is destroyed, ensuring data is completely unrecoverable.

Environmental security (Availability)

Protecting data also means protecting the environment where it lives. Our data centers are equipped with redundant power and cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmental monitoring. Facilities are staffed 24/7/365 to respond to incidents in real time. These measures ensure uptime and business continuity—even in the face of physical disruptions like outages or natural disasters.

Each of these policies maps directly back to Trust Services Criteria, but more importantly, they translate into reduced risk, stronger reliability, and greater peace of mind for your business.

Why Backblaze stands apart

If you’re evaluating cloud storage providers, you can request a copy of our SOC 2 Type 2 report through Whistic. Backblaze currently offers 3 profiles on Whistic: Education Industry profile link, EU Customers profile link, or All Other Customers profile link. Once you have signed up, or signed in, you will be able to view or download the applicable documents and questionnaires.

Backblaze’s combination of SOC 2 compliant data centers and company-wide SOC 2 Type 2 compliance provides a higher level of assurance than many providers offer. That additional assurance is a powerful differentiator, especially for businesses in regulated industries.

And we’re not stopping here. Security isn’t static. We commit to annual assessments, continuous monitoring, and adapting to new threats as they emerge—so you can trust that your data is in good hands today, tomorrow, and beyond.

The post The Gold Standard of Cloud Security: Why Our SOC2 Type 2 Compliance Sets Backblaze Apart appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from David Johnson original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-storage-myths-debunked-part-three-onboarding-specialized-providers-is-too-hard/

Here’s a myth we hear again and again:

Integrating a new storage provider is too complicated. Migrating data, retraining teams, and reconfiguring tools will take too long and create too much risk.

It’s understandable. Data migrations have a reputation for being messy and disruptive. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to babysit infrastructure when there are products to build. For many teams, just the thought of switching cloud providers feels like a detour they don’t have time for.

But in reality, that fear is often bigger than the actual lift. If your workflows already use standard tooling like S3-compatible APIs, switching to a specialized provider is more like a well-marked exit than a hard left turn.

This is the third post in our series debunking persistent myths about cloud storage—check out the first and second posts—and why a best-of-breed, interoperable approach is actually less disruptive than sticking with legacy hyperscaler models.

Migration anxiety vs. reality

“Storage migration” can sound like it requires weeks of planning and an army of engineers. But if your apps are already using S3-compatible workflows, most of the heavy lifting is already done.

If you know S3, you’re already ready

Many specialized storage providers now support S3-compatible APIs, allowing teams to keep the tools, scripts, and services they already know, such as Terraform, Kubernetes, ArgoCD, boto3, and MinIO.

And because your teams are already familiar with the S3 API and related tools, retraining isn’t a hurdle. The same skills, scripts, and automation frameworks carry forward, keeping onboarding time minimal. In fact, most teams are surprised by how little they need to change to get started.

That means:

• No need to learn a new SDK or storage interface
• No retraining your DevOps team
• No rewriting automation pipelines or batch jobs

In most cases, all it takes is updating your endpoint URL and refreshing credentials. The mental model stays the same, the tools stay the same, and your workflows continue as-is.

You don’t need to rip and replace

Downtime concerns are one of the biggest sources of hesitation when switching providers. But in practice, migrations to S3-compatible cloud storage providers rarely require full cutovers or risky, all-or-nothing switchovers. With a bit of planning, most teams handle migrations incrementally:

• Start by migrating lower-risk datasets, such as backups or archives.
• Validate configurations and permissions as data lands in the new system.
• Slowly expand to production datasets as confidence grows.

Better yet, you don’t have to move everything at once. Many teams adopt phased transitions, running some buckets side-by-side or writing to both systems during the handoff to minimize risk. With a bit of planning and the right migration tools and guidance, you can keep operations stable while gradually shifting workloads at a comfortable pace.

Metadata isn’t a blocker

Migrating files without metadata continuity can break downstream systems, especially if your applications rely on timestamps or version tracking.

Fear not. S3-compatible cloud storage providers can preserve metadata during migration, including timestamps. That means your historical data stays intact and compliant with internal policies or regulatory needs, and you won’t need to reset or alter your data management policies.

Moving isn’t the risk. Staying locked in is.

Let’s flip the narrative. The real risk isn’t switching; it’s staying stuck.

Major cloud provider ecosystems are designed for lock-in. The deeper you go, the harder it becomes to leave. Features that look like conveniences, such as integrated IAM policies, tiered storage, and custom APIs, often become entanglements over time.

Each of these layers is built to reinforce reliance:

• IAM rules tie access tightly to the provider’s own tooling.
• Tiered storage creates dependencies on lifecycle rules and retrieval thresholds. 
• Custom APIs mean even basic storage functions can require provider-specific logic.

And as you expand your usage—adding compute, networking, and security services—everything becomes interdependent. What starts as convenience evolves into constraint. Even small changes to your stack can trigger cascading reviews, system audits, or full reconfigurations.

The result? Innovation slows. Costs creep up. Flexibility disappears.

With a specialized provider, you break that cycle.

Specialized Doesn’t Mean Complicated

Specialized storage doesn’t complicate onboarding. It streamlines it. Solutions like Backblaze B2 are purpose-built to make this shift smooth and sustainable, without the trade-offs or surprises you might expect from switching providers.

• S3 compatibility allows for seamless integration with the tools and workflows your team already uses.

• Granular control means you can choose the tools and providers that work best for your architecture, not the ones bundled into a vendor’s ecosystem.

• Metadata continuity is supported through features like custom upload timestamps, preserving file context during migration.

• Transparent pricing ensures there are no hidden egress fees, transaction charges, or retention penalties to catch you off guard.
• Hands-on support helps you plan, validate, and scale your migration with confidence and minimal disruption.

Breaking out of a single-vendor ecosystem may feel intimidating, but it’s often the fastest way to simplify operations, improve performance, and regain control over your cloud strategy.

The best part? Once you’ve made the move, you’re free to experiment. Multi-cloud strategies become more accessible. Your architecture becomes more modular. And your team can focus on building, not babysitting infrastructure.

Next Up: In the final post in this series, we’ll tackle Myth #4: Managing multiple clouds is complicated. (Spoiler: It doesn’t have to be.)

Want to dig even deeper? Download the full whitepaper New Cloud-Native Times Call for New Cloud Storage Approaches.

The post Cloud Storage Myths Debunked, Part Three: Onboarding Specialized Providers Is Too Hard appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from David Johnson original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-storage-myths-debunked-part-two-storage-isnt-a-big-enough-problem-to-remediate/

Today’s myth might sound familiar:

Storage is a minor cost, so it’s not worth switching from major cloud providers.

It’s easy to see how this thinking takes hold. In many cloud-native projects, storage can be the last concern. Compute, networking, and database services often drive most of the costs. Storage? That’s just where your data sits.

But hidden fees, unpredictable retrieval charges, and surprising performance constraints make storage far more impactful than many teams realize—especially for cloud-native workflows.

This post is the second in our blog series unpacking four of the most common myths and misconceptions about specialized cloud storage—see the first post here—and why an interoperable, best-of-breed approach can enhance and streamline cloud-native app development.

Underestimate the importance of storage at your peril

Major cloud providers offer plenty of storage options, but the real costs aren’t always clear up front. 

The charges you don’t see coming

Between egress charges, API call fees, transaction costs, and minimum retention charges, even small changes in how your application moves or retrieves data can quickly inflate your bill.

What looked affordable at launch can snowball into sticker shock once traffic increases or new workloads start driving more data in and out of storage. A single spike in user activity or analytics queries can trigger thousands (or millions) of storage transactions, each billed individually.

These expenses add up fast, and they’re tough to predict.

The egress trap

Egress charges might be one of the best-kept open secrets among the “big three” cloud providers. Every time data leaves their environment—whether to a CDN, another cloud, or end users—egress fees kick in. And they aren’t trivial.

Frequent data transfers, a hallmark of cloud-native architectures, can quietly devour budgets. The big dogs know this. Once your data is deep in their ecosystem, pulling it out becomes financially painful.

This creates a subtle but powerful form of vendor lock-in, making it harder to shift workloads or storage to more specialized providers.

Vendor lock-in, by design

Major cloud providers bundle storage, compute, networking, and a long list of services into tightly coupled ecosystems. On paper, that integration offers convenience. In practice, it creates real friction if you ever want to move.

Even when using open standards like the S3 API, migrating workloads can require new tooling, careful planning, and extensive testing. Under tight deadlines, the mere prospect of switching providers can feel too risky to attempt.

It’s not just inertia; it’s engineered friction designed to keep you tethered.

Complex storage slows down everything

Bundling storage inside a big cloud provider’s stack might seem efficient, but it often creates fragile setups that slow teams down. Configurations get complicated fast:

• Hot and cold storage tiers
• Lifecycle rules
• IAM policies
• Interdependent compute pipelines

Every added layer increases the odds that something breaks, pulling engineers into troubleshooting instead of building.

Latency-sensitive workloads such as real-time analytics or streaming services are especially vulnerable. Even small missteps can ripple through the user experience.

And when those issues hit, teams scramble to patch things up, burning time and resources that could be better spent moving products forward.

AI workloads bring storage costs into sharp focus

AI-powered applications, from model training to updating retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, put heavy demands on storage. These workloads hammer systems with high-throughput reads and writes.

Each refresh or update adds to your bill:

• Delete penalties
• Retention minimums
• API call surcharges

When teams start rationing runs, batching updates, or delaying refreshes just to control costs, innovation slows.

Specialized storage keeps costs predictable and workloads agile

Unlike the “big three” cloud providers, who often hide complexity behind convenience, specialized cloud storage providers like Backblaze B2 take a more transparent approach:

• Clear, predictable pricing means no surprise egress fees, retrieval costs, API charges, or deletion penalties.
• Always-hot storage eliminates the need for lifecycle policies and tier management.
• Open architecture means you stay in control—no proprietary hooks, no walled gardens, and no painful unwinding if your needs change down the road.

For cloud-native teams, this isn’t just a storage swap; it’s an operational upgrade. Streamlined management, lower risk, and transparent costs mean teams can focus on shipping new products and features, not decoding their storage bills.

In fact, Enterprise Strategy Group released a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of Backblaze B2 in May 2025. The analysis concluded that Backblaze B2’s storage costs (monthly storage cost + cost of downloads + cost of transactions) were 3.1x to 3.2x lower than alternative cloud storage providers.

Simple, transparent, affordable pricing enabled Backblaze B2 users to spend far less on storage and use the savings to innovate and grow.
—Enterprise Strategy Group

What’s next for you and storage?

If you liked this article, check out the first in the series, “Cloud Storage Myths Debunked: Hyperscaler Storage Is Good Enough for Cloud-Native Apps.” And, stay tuned for the next post in this series, where we’ll tackle myth #3, addressing whether onboarding specialized providers is too hard. (It’s easier than you think.)

Want to dig even deeper? Download the full ebook “New Cloud-Native Times Call for New Cloud Storage Approaches.”

The post Cloud Storage Myths Debunked, Part Two: Storage Isn’t a Big Enough Problem to Remediate appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from David Johnson original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-storage-myths-debunked-hyperscaler-storage-is-good-enough-for-cloud-native-apps/

The big cloud providers already offer everything you need, including storage. So, why complicate things, right?
At first glance, that sounds convincing. Hyperscalers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer massive service catalogs, global infrastructure, and a wide range of storage options. For many teams, they seem like a convenient one-stop shop.

But in practice, things aren’t nearly as straightforward.

While hyperscalers offer extensive storage capabilities, their multi-tier systems prioritize versatility over optimization. The result? Hidden costs and performance headaches that cloud-native teams can’t afford to ignore.

The claim that hyperscaler storage meets all cloud-native needs because of scale and functionality is a stubborn myth, one of many that still permeate the development landscape.

This post kicks off a blog series tackling these myths and misconceptions about specialized cloud storage and what a best-of-breed, interoperable approach to storage and infrastructure entails.

Reading the fine print of hyperscaler storage

On the surface, hyperscaler storage looks comprehensive and capable. But dig a little deeper, and some underlying cracks start to show.

Premium performance isn’t the default

Hyperscalers can deliver high performance, but not without tradeoffs: 

• They charge more. Premium tiers designed for workloads like analytics or streaming can cost five to eight times more than interoperable solutions.

• They prioritize themselves. When hyperscalers face high-performance demands (e.g., AI workloads competing for GPUs and storage bandwidth), they tend to prioritize their own data centers. Smaller teams might have to navigate opaque processes to request higher performance, and their access to advanced optimizations can be limited. 

• They play favorites. File size adds yet another layer of difficulty. Many hyperscaler storage systems handle large files more efficiently than small ones because of I/O overhead. Hyperscalers may help their biggest customers fine-tune configurations, but most are left to troubleshoot bottlenecks on their own.

Juggling tiers (and hoping nothing gets dropped)

Hot, cool, and cold storage options may look flexible on paper, but they require separate access controls, replication rules, and performance tuning. Teams are left juggling interfaces like AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), scripting policies, and managing tooling just to keep systems functional.

And the more storage types you manage, the greater the chance for human error. A misplaced lifecycle rule or a mistyped IAM permission can result in:

• Unexpected data unavailability
• Delayed retrievals
• Accidental deletions

When complexity undermines reliability

Keeping storage tied tightly to hyperscaler infrastructure may seem efficient—but it often results in brittle setups. Misaligned storage, compute, and access layers can lead to latency issues or even full-blown downtime.

Performance-sensitive applications like real-time analytics or video streaming suffer most. Even a small delay can ripple through the user experience and cause customer churn. To patch gaps, teams often layer on caches, fine-tuning, or quick fixes that only add technical debt.

Who has time to babysit storage?

Developers, DevOps, and site reliability engineers (SREs) are always racing to ship features, scale services, and maintain uptime. For cloud-native teams, optimizing storage isn’t usually at the top of anyone’s to-do list.

Let’s face it: proactively analyzing storage access patterns and configuring tiering rules takes time that cloud-native teams often don’t have. Many teams therefore operate reactively and address storage issues only after performance degrades or surprise bills arrive.

Support tickets don’t feel your pain

Finally, there’s support. Unless you’re a premium customer paying for top-tier service contracts, you’re often stuck with ticketing systems and community forums. That might suffice for routine issues, but when storage problems impact production workloads, waiting for responses through standard channels adds unnecessary stress and delays.

When one size doesn’t fit your cloud

Unlike hyperscaler storage that takes a one-size-fits-all approach, specialized cloud storage solutions directly tackle these challenges. Backblaze B2 is purpose-built to simplify storage for cloud-native teams:

• A single, high-performance tier gives you instant access to all your data, with no tier juggling or lifecycle policies.

• Predictable, transparent pricing means no unexpected fees or surprise retrieval charges.

• S3-compatible APIs simplify integration, allowing you to plug Backblaze B2 directly into your existing cloud-native stack.

For cloud-native teams who value speed, simplicity, and cost control, specialized storage isn’t a complication; it’s a simplification. You get the performance you need, without the complexity you don’t.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series where we tackle Myth #2: Storage isn’t a big enough problem to remediate. (Spoiler: It is.)

The post Cloud Storage Myths Debunked: Hyperscaler Storage Is Good Enough for Cloud-Native Apps appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Kari Rivas original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/leveling-up-security-new-enterprise-features-in-backblaze-b2-platform-update/

Security teams are under constant pressure to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats while enabling fast, reliable access to data across the business. Whether you’re protecting media assets, safeguarding backups, or supporting a global development workflow, your cloud storage needs to do more than store data—it needs to actively support your security posture.

To make that easier, we’ve launched a new set of enterprise-grade security features for Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. These updates are designed to help organizations detect unusual activity faster, manage access more precisely, and strengthen visibility across their storage environments—all without added complexity or hidden costs.

These new tools build on the security foundations you already count on: Object Lock for ransomware protection, SOC-2 compliance, encryption, 3x free egress for disaster recovery, and more.

Here’s a look at what’s new and how it helps.

Smarter protection with Anomaly Alerts (Now in private preview)

Anomaly Alerts are your new AI-powered watchdog. This feature analyzes usage patterns in your B2 Cloud Storage buckets to detect potential red flags—like spikes in downloads or uploads beyond the baseline—that could signal a breach or exfiltration attempt.

If your team wants early access to this feature, drop us a line at [email protected] to join the private preview.

New enterprise web console & role-based access controls (Now in private preview)

Managing cloud storage across large teams just got a whole lot easier. We introduced a brand-new enterprise web console built for scalability and control. Combined with robust role-based access controls (RBAC), IT and security teams can now better align with zero-trust policies by enforcing the principle of least privilege across their organizations.

This console simplifies storage administration at scale—whether you’re managing terabytes or petabytes. 

If you’re a Backblaze customer with a committed contract, reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to see if you’re eligible to participate. Not sure who your CSM is? Email [email protected] for help.

Full visibility with Bucket Access Logs (Now generally available)

Need to know who touched what and when? Bucket Access Logs are now generally available, providing a detailed audit trail of every action in your B2 buckets—uploads, downloads, deletions, and more.

They’re fully S3-compatible and configurable through both the Backblaze B2 web UI and API, supporting:

• Security audits
• Usage tracking
• Forensics and threat investigation

Real-time Event Notifications

Time matters when it comes to spotting and stopping threats. With Event Notifications, you can get real-time alerts on changes to your bucket contents—think object creations, deletions, or modifications—so your team can jump into action immediately.

This is especially valuable for compliance teams, incident response workflows, or any operations team who wants tighter control over their cloud perimeter.

Multi-Bucket and Scalable Application Keys

Security and scalability should go hand in hand. With Multi-Bucket Application Keys, you can now create access keys that cover specific groups of buckets, giving you more flexibility without going full wildcard. This enhancement provides more granular control over bucket access, contributing to a reduced attack surface.

And, with Scalable Application Keys, you can generate up to 10,000 short-lived keys per minute. This capability enhances security by limiting the exposure window of individual keys, thus reducing the attack surface for endpoint-generated content and high-volume data operations.

Custom Upload Timestamps

Custom Upload Timestamps allow you to specify when an object was originally created or uploaded. This is a critical feature for:

• Regulatory compliance
• Accurate version tracking
• Legal and audit requirements

Built for a Secure, Open Cloud

Security isn’t a one-time add-on, it’s an ongoing promise. As enterprises scale and integrate cloud storage into more parts of their workflow—from backup and archiving to AI pipelines—they need solutions that support open cloud strategies without compromising their data.

This update is another step forward in our mission to provide developers, IT teams, and enterprises with cloud storage that’s secure by design, simple to use, and affordable at scale. Ready to get started with Backblaze B2? Contact our Sales team today. 

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