End user risk plagues the rise of cloud computing

Dive Brief:

Cloud computing offers major benefits to schools, and while there are risks that have presented barriers to adoption for some, experts say there are ways to mitigate risk and still see the advantages.

EdTech: Focus on K-12 reports data breaches are a top concern, but districts can encrypt their data to offer another layer of protection. And though risks presented by end users are serious, awareness campaigns can help. Finally, targeted outreach to teachers can ensure they understand why they shouldn’t sign up for cloud-based applications on their own.

IT professionals can avoid a good deal of risk by doing their due diligence on the front end, finding out which vendors will keep data safe, private and secure and follow FERPA guidelines before entering into any contracts.

Yes, The Cloud Can Be A Security Win

With the right controls in place, the cloud doesn't have to be a scary place. These guidelines can help your company stay safe.

There are so many different kinds of clouds - public, private, hybrid, internal - that many businesses and customers have difficulty deciding which is the right one for them. Furthermore, many businesses may use a few different variations of cloud environments - a private cloud for their own intranet, a hybrid cloud to keep some data on premises and some off premises to meet compliance regulations, and a public cloud for low-risk data.

These different types of environments make it difficult for IT and security teams to monitor every cloud on every device, or to monitor access requests for each different type of cloud environment. If you don’t control the cloud or where your data and apps reside, don’t manage them, or don’t know what you have in the cloud, your risk starts to sprawl and you don’t even know what’s happened when there’s a breach - or where to start to remediate. Follow these guidelines to make sure you avoid the cloud’s possible pitfalls.

Hybrid cloud security: What it is and best practices

A virtualized hybrid cloud infrastructure comes with the assurance of better business outcomes but the rapid transformation that accompanies cloud also leaves the infrastructure vulnerable to cyber attacks. This makes risk management critical for every enterprise. Since no two enterprises work exactly the same way, a standard risk tolerance profile cannot sustain the potential risks posed by technical hurdles.

How Cloud Technology Will Evolve In 2016

Cloud technology is huge. It's both the present and the future. Like anything with a future, it's continuing to evolve every single year. There are now more cloud contact centers than ever before. If you have anything to do with the cloud, you need to be aware of the changes that are hitting the industry.

In this guide, you are going to learn about some of the main trends that are forcing cloud technology to evolve over the coming year.

The Race is On for Data

This hybrid cloud world has sparked something of an arms race. Studies say that we tend to use more than one cloud at the same time. And that means that companies are going to be doing their best to get your data. Whether it's Amazon or Salesforce, the major cloud players are all competing to get your data.

Data is an asset to companies because they have all the information they need to sell their other services. In many ways, the grabbing of data for companies is like the grabbing of oil for countries. Every cloud service provider is going to aggressively grab your data.

In many ways, the cloud could evolve in a way that brings you closer to these big companies.

Software-Defined Networks Promise Innovation

SDNs complement software-defined servers and storage in agile, cost-effective data centers.

Among colleges and universities that have made the move to software-defined servers and to software-defined storage, many find that a third option — software-defined networking (SDN) — fits right in. The virtualization of these three pillars of the IT function into a software-defined data center (SDDC) offers high yield for less cost, making it a promising solution — think more agile, more efficient and cost-effective.

Indeed, as traditional networks have grown more complex, they risk becoming more hindrance than help. SDNs empower IT staff with the same agility they find in virtualization, offering big shortcuts in the amount of time it takes to deliver services. Software updates replace manual configuration of hardware components. Staff also benefit from the increased control of centralized network management. What’s more, SDNs provide these advantages at a lower cost than traditional networks, thanks to increased automation and reduced equipment costs.

2016 set to be a defining year for the cloud

The results are in and it seems at its half way point, 2016 has been a defining year for cloud.

According to the 2016 Cloud Adoption Survey by Extreme Networks, private cloud is giving way to hybrid cloud - nearly half of large enterprises will go hybrid by the end of next year.

Five reasons why we should adopt cloud computing

More and more businesses are turning to the cloud computing. Has yours?

Today, many of the small and medium business are adopting cloud computing. As it allows these companies to use world-class infrastructure without the need of purchasing a hardware or maintaining large support teams.

Confidence in cloud security

We look at how certifications and audits boost confidence in cloud security

Cloud has reached a tipping point, with more businesses now confident about putting their information online. Even executives who used to be hesitant about going 'on-demand' are beginning to believe in the strengths of the cloud.

As many as 64.9% of IT leaders think the cloud is as secure or more secure than traditional on-premise software, according to the Cloud Security Alliance. The main providers play a key role in boosting confidence, helping to reassure IT and business leaders that sensitive data is safe and secure online.

Suppliers are taking crucial steps to beef up their security and help deliver compliance the business can rely on. The key here is independent certifications and third party audits from a variety of accredited organisations.

Security is Still Your Responsibility in the Cloud

Over the next 14 months, 80 percent of IT budgets at organizations throughout the U.S. will go to cloud computing services, according to a new global study from Intel Security. As sensitive data is moved to the cloud, it is becoming more obvious that the cloud still has its risks. According to the study, only 13 percent of IT security professionals completely trust public cloud providers to secure sensitive data, and 66 percent of them believe senior management does not completely understand the risks of storing sensitive data in the cloud.

Will Cloud Kill The IT Star?

It’s a question I hear often when speaking with companies across the globe: Does cloud computing spell the demise of the CIO and IT department?

The short answer: No. The longer, more complicated answer: The cloud will force IT leaders and their organizations to fundamentally change what they do (and don’t do), how they work with other departments, and what skills they bring to the table. The upside is tremendous for those who adapt; the downside is perilous for those who don’t.

Cloud Security Challenges

Large organizations are embracing public and private cloud computing at a rapid pace. According to ESG research, one-third of organizations have been using public and private cloud infrastructure for more than three years, and more than half of organizations (57%) have production workloads running on cloud computing infrastructure (note: I am an ESG employee).

Of course, cloud computing is very different than physical or virtual servers, which translates into a different cybersecurity model as well. And these differences lead to a variety of security challenges.

Cloud Identity and Access Management market to reach $2.8 billion by 2020

A new report by Allied Market Research projects that the global cloud IAM market would garner revenue of $2.8 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period 2015 – 2020.

Multi factor authentication service is expected to witness fastest growth, at a CAGR of 30.5% from 2015 to 2020. North America was the highest revenue generating region in 2014 for cloud IAM, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) Market is Expected to Reach $2.8 Billion, Worldwide, By 2020

A new report by Allied Market Research titled, “World Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) Market – Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014 – 2020” projects that the global cloud IAM market would garner revenue of $2.8 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period 2015 – 2020. Multi factor authentication service is expected to witness fastest growth, at a CAGR of 30.5% from 2015 to 2020. North America was the highest revenue generating region in 2014 for cloud IAM, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Identity and access management is a business security framework that manages digital identities, both inside and outside an enterprise. Varied technological environments, increasing cyber-attacks, strict regulatory compliances, and increasing digital identities across organizations are propelling the need of IAM services for information security. Integration of IAM with cloud is gaining popularity owing to its low cost and enhanced security.

The user provisioning service is the largest revenue-generating service of the cloud IAM market, accounting for nearly 40% of the total market revenue in 2014. This segment is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the analysis period.

Among the key end use verticals, IT & telecom was the largest contributor, which accounted for around 25% share in 2014. Stringent government regulations and security standards along with the increasing use of BYOD are the key factors supplementing the adoption of IAM services in IT & telecom sector.

Private cloud dominated the overall cloud IAM market by deployment type, and constituted for around 50% share in 2014, owing to its enhanced data security compared to public cloud and hybrid cloud. However, hybrid cloud would witness highest CAGR of 30.4% during the forecast period owing to its ability to manage IAM services in house as well as on cloud.

Read More: https://telecomnewsroom.com/2016/01/05/cloud-identity-and-access-management-iam-market-is-expected-to-reach-2-8-billion-worldwide-by-2020/

Cloud: the future of storage is here

Using cloud services for data backup and storage is becoming increasingly common among businesses of all sizes. According to Richard Vester, Director of Cloud Services at EOH, hardware-based storage was long the favoured option because companies looked to protect their data from hacking and loss of privacy. That control is now easily accessible through cloud-based options, which is far more cost-effective.

IT is getting cloud storage security all wrong

A pair of research reports on cloud storage behaviors reiterates what has been an enduring and entirely unnecessary reality about data storage: The greatest threat to your store is not outside hackers, it's your own staff.
The first comes from survey conducted by Ipswitch File Transfer, a maker of secure file transfer and data monitoring software. It asked 555 IT professionals across the globe about their file sharing habits and found that while 76 percent of IT professionals say it is important to be able to securely transfer files, 61 percent use unsecured file-sharing clouds.

It also found 32 percent of IT professionals don’t have a file transfer policy in place, 25 percent plan to establish one, and another 25 percent said their company has a file transfer policy, but the enforcement is inconsistent.

Adoption Trends in Personal Cloud By Enterprises-large and small-to boost the global personal cloud market

Enterprise data clouds are fast emerging. Managers are set to transform digital workplace by making continual innovations in end-user computing as personal cloud intersect with many levels of setting up IT goal of enterprises. The degree of impact personal cloud is making on enterprises adoption of cloud services is driven to a large extent by the launch of unprecedented technologies like advanced sensors, Windows 10, smart wearables which is fast blurring the boundaries between consumer and enterprise computing. Increased access to a host of personal information and enhance intelligence is fast changing the technology landscape in personal cloud services.

When the cloud complicates 508 compliance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology found that as organizations move to cloud-based systems and platforms, the accessibility for employees with disabilities can be compromised.

Accessibility tools for those with disabilities rely on local computers capable of running them. And with most software and information now migrating to remote locations accessed through the Internet, NIST warned, those tools might not function.

The agency's Cloud Accessibility Public Working Group’s draft report, “Cloud Computing and Accessibility Considerations,” explores the challenges, barriers and opportunities federal IT managers are facing as they attempt to comply with two sometimes-competing directives: the accessibility requirements mandated under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the federal “cloud first” policy.

The Rehabilitation Act requires employers to provide equal access to computers and other IT services and information systems for workers with disabilities, and the cloud-first policy calls for federal agencies to implement cloud computing to improve security, reliability and cost-effectiveness.

The barriers outlined in the report begin with version control. When a cloud provider automatically upgrades the cloud computing software, the new version might not be compatible with products already used to aid accessibility.

Some cloud computing solutions also use browsers for cloud applications, adding an extra layer that has to successfully function with the accessibility features. For example, users working with a spreadsheet in the cloud need the operating system, a screen reader, a cloud-based spreadsheet and the browser to work together.

Read More: https://gcn.com/articles/2016/03/07/cloud-vs-508-compliance.aspx

Understanding Cloud Services and your Options

We’ll keep the introduction relatively short here. It’s very clear that cloud is now impacting organizations of all sizes and across all verticals. Cisco recently reported that by 2019, more than 86 percent of workloads will be processed by cloud data centers. Furthermore, global spending on IaaS reached more than US$16.5 billion in 2015, an increase of 32.8 percent from 2014, according to Gartner’s latest forecast. Finally, findings from a recent Gartner report go on to say that the use of cloud computing is growing, and by 2016 this growth will increase to become the bulk of new IT spend.

Adoption Trends in Personal Cloud By Enterprises-large and small-to boost the global personal cloud market

Enterprise data clouds are fast emerging. Managers are set to transform digital workplace by making continual innovations in end-user computing as personal cloud intersect with many levels of setting up IT goal of enterprises. The degree of impact personal cloud is making on enterprises adoption of cloud services is driven to a large extent by the launch of unprecedented technologies like advanced sensors, Windows 10, smart wearables which is fast blurring the boundaries between consumer and enterprise computing. Increased access to a host of personal information and enhance intelligence is fast changing the technology landscape in personal cloud services.

Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) Market is Expected to Reach $2.8 Billion, Worldwide, By 2020

A new report by Allied Market Research titled, “World Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) Market - Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014 - 2020” projects that the global cloud IAM market would garner revenue of $2.8 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 26.2% during the forecast period 2015 - 2020.

Multi factor authentication service is expected to witness fastest growth, at a CAGR of 30.5% from 2015 to 2020.  North America was the highest revenue generating region in 2014 for cloud IAM, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.