How Secure is Cloud Computing?

This was written by Brynn Koeppen on Monday, November 23, 2009, 13:39.

With the recent movement towards a cloud computing model, many senior leaders and IT professionals are wondering just how secure the cloud is. The European Network and Information Security Agency recently published a report that seeks to provide a model of deciding if cloud computing meets the security an organization requires.

The report concludes that the flexibility and economies of scale available in cloud computing are good and bad qualities from a security perspective. Since a large amount of data can be stored in the cloud environment, it provides an attractive target for cyber attacks. However, the security models available to defend the cloud have the potential to be more robust, cost effective and scalable.