Cloud Deployments Grow Despite Security Concerns

By Tony Kontzer | Posted 2016-05-27

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Cloud Deployments Grow Despite Security Concerns

A growing number of organizations plan to implement cloud deployments even though they often don't fully understand all the security and compliance risks.
Growing Trust

77% of the IT decision-makers surveyed said they trust in the cloud more than they did a year ago.
Cloud Domination

Respondents expect 80% of their organization's IT budgets to be dedicated to cloud computing services within 16 months
IaaS Rules

More organizations plan on investing in infrastructure as a service (81%) than in software as a service (60%).
Public Doubts

Only 13% of respondents said they completely trust public cloud providers to secure sensitive data.
Out of Touch

Only 34% of the respondents think C-level executives and senior management understand the cloud's security risks.
Not a Clue

Just 13% of respondents said they know whether or not their organization stores sensitive data in the cloud.
What Breaches?

Only 23% of the IT decision-makers surveyed are aware of any data breaches involving their cloud service providers.
Compliance Concerns

72% of the respondents cited compliance as their biggest concern with cloud adoption.
SaaS Worries

22% said their main concern about software as a service is the potential for a data security incident.
IT's Burden

52% of respondents said their organization's line-of-business managers expect IT to secure unauthorized department-sourced cloud services.
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Trust in and adoption of cloud computing continues to grow despite persistent cloud-related security and compliance concerns. Such is the overarching takeaway of Intel Security's recent report, "Blue Skies Ahead? The State of Cloud Adoption." The report, which was based on a survey Vanson Bourne did of 1,200 IT decision-makers with responsibility for cloud security, illustrates just how much impact security concerns still have over cloud decisions. "We are at the tipping point of investment and adoption, expanding rapidly as trust in cloud computing and cloud providers grows," said Raj Samani, chief technology officer, Intel Security EMEA. "As we enter a phase of wide-scale adoption of cloud computing to support critical applications and services, the question of trust within the cloud becomes imperative." Still, the lingering security concerns don't seem to be slowing the cloud's momentum, as the survey findings indicate that organizations intend to plow ahead into cloud deployments even though they often don't fully understand the risks. That contradiction puts extra pressure on vendors to get it right. "Security vendors and cloud providers must arm customers with education and tools, and cultivate strong relationships built on trust, in order to continue the adoption of cloud computing platforms," said Jim Reavis, CEO of the Cloud Security Alliance. "Only then can we completely benefit from the advantages of the cloud."

Tony has been writing about the intersection of technology and business for more than 20 years and currently freelances from the Grass Valley, Calif., home where he and his wife are raising their two boys. A 1988 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and regular contributor to Baseline since 2007, Tony's somewhat infrequent Twitter posts can be found at http://twitter.com/tkontzer.