Cloud computing is here, of that there is no doubt, and while concerns still exist around the security of transacting in the cloud, Westcon Security is now helping customers securely map their path to conducting business in a virtual world.
According to the company, cloud computing doesn't just require internal security, but also security on the edge and security throughout the cloud. It is with this that Westcon Security has partnered with global vendors to ensure it is able to provide solutions that assist with encryption, authentication, endpoint and mobile security, as well as testing and auditing within the context of your private or public cloud.
“The one cloud inhibitor in the minds of the CIO is whether or not placing your data, and whether letting your users access it while it is in the cloud, is secure,” says Andrew Potgieter, business unit manager at Westcon Security. “The reality is that, with the myriad security solutions and applications available, this needn't be a concern, as long as you execute your cloud security strategies and policies effectively.”
It is against this backdrop that a cloud security strategy needs to form part of your overall business security strategy, it needs to be part of the same risk analysis and compliance policies that you have in place within your business. Potgieter says only once you have buttoned this down will you be able to march into the cloud with ease.
But as a note of caution he adds that when defining this policy, a business must be careful to map out the anticipated and expected behaviour of users, whether they are accessing the cloud from their own devices or from a company asset. The real threat to data in a secure cloud is not primarily external, but rather internal, by way of how one's users deal with sensitive company data that resides within it.
“But security can be expensive, so security for the sake of security can land up costing you money you simply haven't budgeted for,” adds Potgieter.
“We suggest that all of our clients have a security audit conducted on their data to ascertain whether or not they require certain solutions, how many licences they may need, and whether there are areas where they are potentially not making use of the full capacity of the system in which they have invested,” he says.
If you have security-related concerns about entering into the cloud, then visit Westcon Security at the 7th annual ITWeb Security Summit, to be hosted from 15 to 17 May 2012, at the Sandton Convention Centre. For more information, click here.
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