Most Companies Believe Sensitive Data Can Be Secured in the Cloud

Most companies believe sensitive data can be secured in the cloud, a survey has found.

In addition, nearly half of the respondents also said they believe cloud-based solutions can be as secure as on-premise products, with over 40 percent stating they would consider replacing current solutions with cloud-based ones.

However, respondents did keep their feet on the ground with clear caveats that cloud solutions must include strong data protection, data segregation and the ability to comply with key compliance mandates, such as Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA and PCI DSS. Compliance was noted as mission critical by nearly 80 percent of those surveyed, and most respondents felt there was some data still too risky to put in the cloud, including intellectual property, financial information and employee records. The survey also showed most companies are willing to forego performance for cloud security, with nearly 80 percent saying they would sacrifice some cloud computing performance in order to ensure that the data was secure.

In the end, it comes down to whether or not a cloud vendor can address the top criteria for cloud security, which are: data protection (85 percent), auditing and tracking (53 percent), access control rules and securing data in motion (both at 36 percent).

For cloud vendors, the survey clearly reveals the most important criteria for companies evaluating a cloud vendor. Respondents placed greatest importance how their data is segregated from other customers (85 percent), whether or not the vendor has a comprehensive and secure disaster recovery plan in place (80 percent), understanding how their company data is secured within the application (79 percent), and understanding the vendor's security breach contingency process (72 percent). Access control rules, strong authentication and best-of-breed network security infrastructure were some of the other criteria near the top of the list when considering cloud providers.

Comment from Margaret Dawson, vice president of marketing and product management at Hubspan: The results of this survey show that while some of the concerns over cloud security may be overblown, vendors must be able to clearly show how they address data segregation, compliance and other areas critical to businesses interested in augmenting on-premise infrastructure with cloud-based solutions. These results mirror what we hear from our own customers, and Hubspan has been ahead of the game in providing best-in-class security and compliance-based B2B integration in the cloud.

About the survey: More than 200 companies completed the cloud survey, ranging in size from under 50 to several thousand employees. Respondents represented a range of industries, with high-tech, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail and B2B eCommerce accounting for 50 percent of the polls.

Contact: http://www.hubspan.com