Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
    big data and remote work
    Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
    6 Min Read
    data driven insights
    How Data-Driven Insights Are Addressing Gaps in Patient Communication and Equity
    8 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The cloud is a powder keg
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Uncategorized > The cloud is a powder keg
Uncategorized

The cloud is a powder keg

ChrisDixon
ChrisDixon
5 Min Read
SHARE

This post is about computer security. Before your eyes glaze over, let me say that – without using any security jargon – I’m going to try to convince you there is a significant security issue on the horizon that will affect every almost every business that stores valuable data on computers.

Willie Sutton was a bank robber who, when asked “Why do you rob banks?” replied “because that’s where the money is.” This quote is famous enough that some people call it Sutton’s law. On the internet, Sutton’s law means the bad guys will try to hack where the valuable data is stored.

One of the major trends in the technology world is “cloud computing” or a related concept “Software-as-a-Service (Saas).” The idea is instead of installing software within your company’s own network it is hosted by a service provider and you access it via a web browser. SaaS applications are popular because they are much easier to use, install, maintain, and access. The most prominent examples are probably Salesforce and Google Apps. But the SaaS revolution is happening to almost every corporate application – HR, accounting, project management, bug tracking, and so on.

As a result, there is a giant …

More Read

Want 60 Million Customers? Here’s How Netflix Does It
Should Machine Learning Be Applied to IT Operational Tools?
Predictive Analytics: Investing and Selecting Software Properly
Is Your POS Plugged To The Cloud?
Check Out TunkRank.com!



This post is about computer security. Before your eyes glaze over, let me say that – without using any security jargon – I’m going to try to convince you there is a significant security issue on the horizon that will affect every almost every business that stores valuable data on computers.

Willie Sutton was a bank robber who, when asked “Why do you rob banks?” replied “because that’s where the money is.” This quote is famous enough that some people call it Sutton’s law. On the internet, Sutton’s law means the bad guys will try to hack where the valuable data is stored.

One of the major trends in the technology world is “cloud computing” or a related concept “Software-as-a-Service (Saas).” The idea is instead of installing software within your company’s own network it is hosted by a service provider and you access it via a web browser. SaaS applications are popular because they are much easier to use, install, maintain, and access. The most prominent examples are probably Salesforce and Google Apps. But the SaaS revolution is happening to almost every corporate application – HR, accounting, project management, bug tracking, and so on.

As a result, there is a giant migration of data going on. We are moving from a world where everyone kept valuable data within their network to a world where all of their data is in SaaS providers’ databases.

Sutton’s 2nd law is that where there is lots of money, bad guys find a way to get to it (ok I made up the name for this law – but it should have a name). When kings had piles of gold in their castles, people found a way across the moats and through the gates. The same is true of people robbing banks, and the same will be true of SaaS providers’ databases. It could be an inside job, someone leaving a “door” open, or just clever hacking – but you can rest assured if with a giant pile of gold sitting there, the bad guys will get it (in fact it’s already started).

We have gone from a world where everyone hid money under their mattress and protected it with an alarm system and shotgun to a world where all the money is in just a few places, run by people who have no particular expertise providing security, who for the most part deny there is any risk. SaaS providers like Salesforce just dismiss the security risk, saying, in essence, that they have alarms and shotguns too.

It’s a powder keg waiting to explode.

Disclosure: I invested in a stealth mode security company that addresses this problem. Perhaps that makes me biased. I prefer to think of it as evidence that I believe what I’m writing here.

Link to original post

TAGGED:cloud computingdata securitysaassoftware as a service
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

data analytics and truck accident claims
How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
predictive analytics for interior designers
Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
Analytics Exclusive Predictive Analytics
big data and cybercrime
Stopping Lateral Movement in a Data-Heavy, Edge-First World
Big Data Exclusive
AI and data mining
What the Rise of AI Web Scrapers Means for Data Teams
Artificial Intelligence Big Data Exclusive

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

cloud data security in 2023
Cloud Computing

Top Tools for Your Cloud Data Security Stack in 2023

7 Min Read

Current Internet Explorer security flaw even worse than usual ones: Use Firefox or Chrome

4 Min Read

Is the Cloud Secure Enough for the Financial Industry?

3 Min Read
choosing the right servers for your cloud strategy
Cloud Computing

Best Used Servers for Databases and Cloud Computing

9 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive
ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?