Security remains the single biggest concern of government information technology decision-makers when it comes to cloud computing, a survey has found. However, despite these security concerns, 50% are now considering cloud applications for their agencies, versus only 12% a year ago.
Two-thirds of participants cited security as the most important element in their evaluations. At the same time, those more familiar with cloud computing are more than twice as likely to trust it, 57 percent versus 24 percent. Concerns about security are not the only obstacle holding back federal agencies from moving to the cloud. At least three-quarters of participants identified dependability, availability, and the ability to continue using existing applications as elements that cloud-based solutions must address. Meanwhile, more than one-quarter of participants identified mission-critical data management, procurement, and financial management systems as applications they would never consider moving to the cloud.
Comment from Lockheed Martin's Curt Aubley, Vice President for Cyber Security and NexGen innovation: The government is making strides in transitioning to the cloud and we believe an intelligence driven cyber security approach, and asking the penetrating questions regarding cloud governance, availability, and reliability are key to prudent adoption. Security concerns are the single biggest reason agencies cite for their slow adoption of cloud. There's a lot of hype in the industry.
Comment from Cynthia Poole, research director at Market Connections: One major takeaway is that nearly one-third of participants agreed that cloud-based computing is a good solution for all data and applications, which indicates that if security concerns can be addressed successfully, the cloud would be embraced wholeheartedly by a number of agencies.
About the survey: The study funded by the Lockheed Martin Cyber Security Alliance and conducted by Market Connections included in-depth interviews and an online survey. It explored comfort levels, cloud engagement, elements of importance and plans for cloud application migration among U.S. federal government, defense/military, and intelligence agency technology decision-makers and IT contractors serving the federal government. Study findings reflect input from 196 participants from all military branches and a variety of federal civilian agencies.
Contact: http://www.lockheedmartin.com
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