Survey shows companies cautious and optimistic about cloud security

October 26, Symantec released its "2011 Cloud Status Survey" (State of Cloud Survey) results. The survey focused on how companies deploy cloud computing and how to deal with the changes that cloud computing brings to IT management.

The survey shows that companies are ambivalent about cloud security--most companies are also listed as the biggest concerns and primary targets of the cloud. The findings also suggest that companies may not be fully prepared for the cloud, as almost half of respondents say their IT staff are not ready to implement cloud computing.

"The findings further validate the user's current attitudes and needs, and security is the biggest concern in its approach to cloud computing," said Francis DeSouza, president of Symantec Enterprise Products and services group. "To be confident in the cloud, The IT department must take steps to ensure that its ability to control information and applications remains consistent with its objectives, whether the enterprise has already implemented the cloud computing environment or is still stuck on the original infrastructure. ”

Enterprise's contradictory attitude to cloud security

The findings suggest that companies are ambivalent about cloud security-as a primary goal in the cloud and as the biggest concern. 87% of respondents are confident that entering the cloud will not affect their information security, or even really improve security. However, for these companies, the security of the cloud environment is also the biggest concern, with potential risks including malware, hacker theft and the loss of confidential information.

"Ensuring data security is fundamental to the implementation of the cloud computing environment." "If security is not enough, it doesn't make any sense to go into the cloud," says a chief technology officer at a small IT company. ”

IT department is still not ready to enter the cloud

Despite a series of related plans, many companies still say they are not ready to deploy cloud computing. Only a handful of respondents (15%-18%) think they are fully prepared for a transition to a cloud computing environment. And about half of the respondents said their IT departments were not ready.

Part of the reason for this is the lack of experience, because only 25% of IT teams have the experience of deploying cloud computing. As a result, most businesses are seeking help from external sources. In fact, when deploying a hybrid infrastructure or PAAs, about 3/4 of respondents said they would turn to value-added resellers (VAR), independent consultants, professional service providers, or system integrators.

Only a handful of companies implement cloud computing

Everyone is talking about the implementation of cloud computing, where at least 75%-81% of companies are considering the current cloud of all forms. Clearly, companies have a strong interest in cloud services, with 73% of respondents saying they have adopted or are using some form of cloud service, and that security services are the first to suffer. Today's top cloud services companies are using cloud services, including e-mail services such as management or security, security management, Web pages, and instant Messaging (IM) security.

However, only a handful of companies have fully implemented the migration to the cloud computing environment. According to the report, less than 20% of companies have implemented any cloud computing environment covered by the survey, about 1/4 are currently in the deployment phase, and about 2/3 are still in the early stages of discussions and testing, or not at all about cloud applications.

The reality has not satisfied the enterprise expectation

The survey found that companies that have adopted cloud computing technology have not yet gained the results they had previously expected. 88% of respondents expect cloud computing to improve their IT flexibility, but only 47% per cent have achieved expectations. The findings also show that cloud computing's role in disaster recovery, efficiency, lower operating costs, and improved security is still not up to expectations.

Symantec's advice to IT department:

• Take an active attitude. IT departments need to take a more proactive approach when entering the cloud environment. More and more IT organizations are now deploying cloud computing in a step-by-step, methodical and conservative manner. In addition, it leaders should take control of critical issues such as security, availability, and cost, which require proper training and preparation of the IT staff in advance.

• Set up information and application layers. Not all information and applications are created at the same level. Analyze and place information and applications at all levels in order to determine which priority to enter the cloud environment.

• Assess risk and set policy appropriately. Ensure that critical information is accessible only to authorized users and that critical information is not taken out of the company. At the same time, to ensure that the cloud service provider to meet the requirements of corporate compliance. Finally, evaluate the operational capabilities of potential cloud service providers, such as high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

• Start action immediately. The implementation of cloud computing is not step work. Taking full advantage of cloud services is a simple start to the cloud environment. While it may take some time to get ready to transfer business-critical applications, you can start by deploying simpler applications and services.