Art Coviello, the head of RSA, told the audience at a security conference in the US that the ongoing adoption of cloud-based solutions was giving vendors and businesses a chance to create a more secure environment for data storage and protection.
Speaking at the 2010 EMC World conference in Boston, Mr Coviello said that building cloud platforms from the ground up meant that professionals could integrate security measures into the foundations of the new systems, resulting in a more stable, trusted environment and a reduction in the likelihood of data loss or theft.
Mr Coviello sees the rise of cloud computing as a chance for firms to go back and start from the very beginning, by which he means that proper data protection needs to be considered and included in the core functions of any cloud-based system. He believes this to be something of a once in a generation opportunity that should not be missed.
There is still some apprehension surrounding cloud solutions, with even the vendors questioning whether they can offer adequate security and build confidence in the client base. Mr Coviello gave the example of a recent report which found that over 50 per cent of IT managers are still mistrusting of the security offered by cloud computing.
Experts are attempting to push for the creation of a platform which will have multiple layers of security to be harnessed by businesses from day one of its adoption. The intention is to make the monitoring of each system as simple as possible, whilst the protective layers are there to make it difficult to attack or misuse data.
The EMC’s Pat Gellsinger concurred with Mr Coviello, adding that a significant security benefit of cloud computing was its ability to implement protective measures in a granular form.
Both Mr Coviello and Mr Gellsinger offer warnings as well as positive messages in relation to the cloud, with the general assumption that cyber criminals will pounce on any cloud system which is not adequately protected. Cloud security is seen as a somewhat black and white environment, guaranteeing either complete protection or a data loss nightmare.
