Cloud-Based Storage of Secured Info Increasing

   According to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute and Thales e-Security, using cloud-based data storage for secure info is nearly becoming the norm. Approximately half of the respondents from this survey of 4000 IT pros in seven countries stated that they do use cloud storage for their sensitive data. This approach has several pros and cons - in the positive there is the fact that data storage space is not a local necessity and maintenance is performed off-site as well; however, in the negative secure data is typically something which is encrypted and that requires encryption keys which means said keys lie in several hands. Therefore, in order for someone to use cloud-based encryption one must trust the encrypting entity completely meaning that it is imperative to only use completely proven and trustworthy vendors for any cloud-based encryption services.

    Thales e-Security is a leader in information technology security and protects data for several government agencies including 21 NATO nations as well as corporations in many industrial sectors. In conducting this survey it was also discovered the many respondents found that their overall data security condition may have suffered slightly since having transferred to the cloud. It was also evident that companies who understand security were more likely to shift encrypted data to the cloud and those companies will the lesser commands of overall security. The Ponemon Institute conducts research and educates industry leaders in the field of information security and it is interesting that part of the study indicated that in many cases it was the economic savings more than a security posture that drove some companies to the cloud. It is highly advisable for any corporation considering the move to encryption in the cloud to seek advice from fully capable security advisers and weigh very carefully the risk and reward of such a move.