McAfee (NYSE:MFE) today announced the McAfee Cloud Secure program, a program for software as a service (SaaS) providers to add additional security to their cloud deployments. Amazon Web Services (AWS), a pioneer in cloud computing, and SuccessFactors, a leading SaaS provider, are expected be among the first providers to leverage the new program, which combines cloud security certification services, provided by leading certification and attestation providers, with automated auditing, remediation and reporting capabilities provided by McAfee.
According to IDC, 87.5% of users surveyed cited "security concerns" as the primary issue for adopting cloud-based services.1 By adding certification and automation, McAfee is providing an easy and efficient way for SaaS customers to gain added confidence in their cloud deployments.
"SaaS vendors have a difficult time convincing prospects that their services are secure and safe. However, McAfee's security products and hosted services expertise are well positioned to help SaaS vendors with security problems and customer doubts," said Christian Christiansen, vice-president of security products and services for IDC. "Through certification and automation, McAfee can enable SaaS growth by proactively addressing customer concerns."
"SuccessFactors data centres house critical business execution information for over 3 000 customers and more than 6 million users, making security central to operational success," said Tom Fisher, vice-president of Cloud Computing, SuccessFactors. "Being a best-in-class cloud company means partnering with best-in-class security. By joining McAfee's Cloud Secure program, we're continuing to deliver the most advanced, innovative security on the market in every deployment we do"
McAfee takes steps to further secure cloud
The McAfee Cloud Secure program adds security to the cloud. The current program includes:
* Cloud Security Certification Services: McAfee will partner with leading Certification delivery vendors to provide Certification services tailored for SaaS and Cloud vendors. The certification services, which are provided on an annual basis, will include existing security controls, processes and certifications, as well as future Cloud security standards.
* Automated Auditing, Remediation & Reporting: Coupled with Certification, McAfee performs automatic and daily security audits, remediation of vulnerabilities and reporting of the security status of their service and network using the McAfee Cloud Secure service. Cloud vendors who pass the daily scan and other checks receive a "McAfee SECURE" trustmark, providing credible, third party validation to be used on their solutions and in customer-facing marketing collateral.
* Security Credibility: The McAfee Cloud Secure program will leverage the trusted McAfee SECURE technology and trustmark. Currently, the McAfee SECURE trustmark appears on more than 80 000 Web sites worldwide. With more than 80 billion touch points, the McAfee SECURE trustmark gives users confidence when doing business with a McAfee SECURE customer. McAfee Cloud Secure combines rigorous security testing, business practice review, compliance certification, and ongoing vulnerability evaluation for cloud vendors.
McAfee plans to build on the program by leveraging its comprehensive SaaS portfolio of cloud-based security services along with its unrivalled Global Threat Intelligence network, helping make the broader cloud-computing ecosystem more safe and secure.
"McAfee Cloud Secure is our first step toward proactive and comprehensive security certifications and tools for the cloud," said Marc Olesen, senior vice-president and general manager, McAfee Software-as-a-Service. "McAfee is uniquely positioned to address security for the cloud given our technology, reputation and cloud expertise. With the McAfee Cloud Secure program, we are adding peace of mind for those with cloud deployments, helping end users more easily evaluate and select a safe and secure vendor."
1 IDC eXchange, "New IDC IT Cloud Services Survey: Top Benefits and Challenges," December 15, 2009
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