Cloud computing will introduce a number of information security issues and threats, says Johann van der Merwe, security architect for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Van der Merwe will analyse the security risks of cloud computing at the ITWeb Cloud Computing Conference, to be held on 24 November, at the Forum in Bryanston.
According to Van der Merwe, “The security risks associated with cloud computing is widely regarded as one of the biggest stumbling blocks for cloud adoption, and therefore needs special attention if the benefits of cloud computing are to be realised.”
He adds that failure to extend security and privacy policies into the cloud can expose companies to threats that may compromise the IT infrastructure supporting the business. “The ultimate impact may be financial losses due to, for example, reputational damage, business downtime or legal challenges.”
Recovery requirements
Van der Merwe goes on to say that companies cannot completely transfer the risk to the cloud provider. This means it comes down to whether a company trusts the cloud provider to deploy the security policies in its environment.
“Requesting the cloud provider to get third-party assurance on the implementation of security policies will not necessarily solve the problem, since not all companies have the same security requirements,” says Van der Merwe.
He adds that if a company chooses to make use of cloud services, then business continuity best practices still apply. However, the company will require the cloud provider to implement the necessary recovery capabilities.
One of challenges for cloud providers is to align critical recovery capabilities with the recovery objectives of its clients, says Van der Merwe. “Nevertheless, cloud vendors will take contractual responsibility for providing companies with a minimum service which may or may not be suitable for some customers.”
According to the IDC, spending on IT cloud services is expected to grow threefold, reaching $42 billion by 2012, and accounting for 9% of total software sales. Cloud computing is expected to accelerate throughout the forecast period, capturing 25% of IT spending growth in 2012 and nearly a third of growth the following year.
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