OPINION
Secure Solutions
Cloud Technology
By Matthew Munson, CTO, Cube52
Introduction
Matthew Munson
examines the key
hurdles when
considering cloud
adoption
There is no doubt that cloud computing
has now achieved mainstream
deployment in the UK. Recent research
from the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF)
found that some 78 per cent of UK
organisations have adopted at least one
cloud-based service, an increase of 15
per cent over previous figures. More
telling is that turning to the cloud is no
longer the reserve of large blue-chip
organisations, with 75 per cent of SMEs
also embracing cloud technology.
With cloud technology continually
evolving, it has now become a
mainstream solution for businesses and
an integral part of an organisation’s
overall IT strategy. According to
Gartner, cloud computing has been
highlighted as one of the top strategic
technology trends in 2015 that
organisations cannot afford to avoid.
Across the wider business landscape,
web hosting, email, CRM, data back-up
and disaster recovery continue to be
the most pervasive cloud services used.
However, organisations within heavily
regulated industries such as the financial
services, healthcare or legal have thus
far shied away from cloud technology,
unsure of the right strategy and afraid
of the potential security risks. The
Cloud Security Alliance recently found
that although the take up is increasing
within financial services, with private
cloud the most popular for those testing
the waters, security is still their main
concern.
Times Are Changing
A recent report undertaken by Ovum
revealed that 54 per cent of IT decision
makers now store sensitive data in
the cloud. The cloud has a distinct
benefit for smaller institutions in
heavily regulated industries. They can
take advantage of the skills and better
security that cloud providers such as
Cube52 offer, rather than having to
invest in their own staff, software and
hardware. The money saved can then
be used for better education of staff
and to ensure that security is regularly
tested and fit for purpose. One of the
main regulatory requirements that has
historically dissuaded heavily regulated
industries to move away from their
legacy on-premise solutions is the
need for sensitive data (whether it be
customer or financial information) to
not cross geographical boundaries. The
issue of location – data sovereignty – is
currently top of mind for many due
to the EU Data Protection Directive
adopted in 1995 being set to be
replaced with new legislation known
as The EU General Data Protection
R