Cloud Security: A Key to Cloud Computing’s Growth

Gone are the days where IT professionals are asking: “what exactly is cloud computing?” It’s 2016 – everyone has some form of understanding of the cloud. This can be seen in the data itself – nine out of ten organizations use the cloud in one way or another, with data centers, servers, and disaster recovery being the most used cloud services. Yet even taking into account the sheer size of the cloud industry, there is still enormous potential for growth here. The key, though, to this growth? Cloud security.

Gone are the days where IT professionals are asking: “what exactly is cloud computing?” It’s 2016 – everyone has some form of understanding of the cloud. This can be seen in the data itself – nine out of ten organizations use the cloud in one way or another, with data centers, servers, and disaster recovery being the most used cloud services. Yet even taking into account the sheer size of the cloud industry, there is still enormous potential for growth here. The key, though, to this growth? Cloud security.

Security Appeal

The fact that this many organizations use the cloud isn’t what stands out; it’s the reasoning behind why they switched. Most organizations cite cloud security as the single most important factor as to why they moved from an on premise system to the cloud. A large majority of companies believe that their data is far safer in the cloud, particularly in a private cloud, than in an on premise system. Moreover, as security “industry best practices” become stricter over time, many companies find it increasingly difficult to keep up with these requirements. Naturally, they turn to the cloud which offers the latest built in security protocols. But, do these same organizations, who cite cloud security as a primary reason for moving to the cloud, believe their data is really safe?

Security Trouble

Here is where things get interesting. Though most IT pros consider the cloud to be the safest option in regard to safeguarding data against malicious attacks or hardware disasters / failures, they also note that their number one concern for moving to the cloud was, you guessed it, cloud security. Furthermore, these same individuals don’t change their opinions on cloud / data security once they switch to the cloud. Though they still prefer the security of their data in the cloud over on premise after using the cloud, they still have reservations regarding cloud security. According to a survey that Forbes covered, only 50% of respondents believe the cloud is better for security than other systems. This means that half of people still do not have faith in the cloud.

Security is Key

Can you really blame these individuals for being wary about the cloud? On the surface, perhaps. However, take a look around. There are no shortages of cloud security mishaps every week. Even the largest cloud companies – Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM – aren’t 100% safe. Considering the billions of dollars spent each year on security by these large conglomerates who are still experiencing data breaches or malfunctions, it is only natural that IT professionals and CIOs are anxious when it comes to moving their data to the cloud. While there are an endless amount of up and coming cloud security companies, technology is constantly evolving. So to, hackers are getting smarter and finding their way into what are supposed to be “air-tight” systems. In order for the cloud industry to really grow into its full potential, cloud security companies will need to not only tackle each hurdle immediately, but think outside the box to predict any potential future threats.

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