But, said Gunn, the solution is simple: enterprises should only permit data to migrate to the cloud where two-factor, strong authentication is in use and, right there, hackers probably are kept at bay. Take just that step, suggests Gunn, and considerable big company opposition to cloud computing would instantly evaporate. Most mainstream cloud providers are hanging back on this but, suggests Gunn, when enough users cry out for safeguards the cloud companies will respond.
Here Today …
A last, big worry, particularly in today’s unstable economy, is how durable is the cloud provider, said Raimund Genes, CTO at Trend Micro, the global security company. “You need a provider that will be in business three years from now. When you give up your IT infrastructure, you need a reliable service provider.” When a cloud provider goes bankrupt how accessible is your info, by whom? Better not to deal with such questions at all by instead going with cloud providers that have the wherewithal for a long-haul contest.
Parting advice for CIOs who are still wringing their hands in worry over data in the cloud comes from Elastra’s Sheynkman who reminds us: “It’s not all or nothing. It does not have to be. Put only the data you are comfortable with on the cloud. That is what most companies seem to be doing. We are still in an era of experimentation.”
Take it in little steps but start taking some steps, that’s the smart way to embrace the cloud.