Cloud Computing is the scapegoat!
In the first part you found out why the time is right for Enterprise Cloud Computing. Now we come to an other interesting topic during CloudExpo Europe – the Cloud Computing security.
While finding a definition of Cloud Computing from a security standpoint in just one word, each protagonist covered the exactly point of view. Cloud Computing is a scapegoat.
This definition results in many cases from bad press reports about supposed problems of Cloud Computing. For example the Sidekick disaster last year which did a disservice to Cloud Computing.
However, we are all agreed, the Sidekick disaster was not a Cloud Computing problem. Instead of that it was a problem with a different kind of nature. But as you know the media landscape needs to achieve their readers. And thriller headlines due to cloud security issues gets more readers! Ergo: Check the real background and the author and his expertise behind the article.
If we are honest, is our data in our sphere of influence like the local PC or the data center much more secure than in the Cloud? Do CIO’s really know what’s going on locally at the companies PCs or laptops. I do not mean the data in this case, but rather the software etc. which is installed by the user. Let us face it, how often are mobile devices actually stolen? If we count only these points – and there are still much more – traditional systems or solutions are not more secure than Cloud Computing solutions.
How can Cloud Computing help the CIO or CISO to protect and optimize their IT environment concerning data corruption, theft or loss of sensitive data, unauthorized access, compliance and system availability?
First of all check your business model. It doesn’t makes sense to adopt the Cloud if there is no benefit or support by the Cloud. Cloud Computing technologies using modern architectures with current standards and therefore are very sensitized in terms of traditionell security problems. However, building or adopt a Cloud is not easy and security must come first! A Cloud has to be designed to be compliant with local and global legal and general conditions and must also be strategically distributed. This means, data should be replicated over multiple locations and must not store centralized on a single location.
If you consider these characteristics amongst others while designing or adopting a Cloud, Cloud Computing increases the security holisticly due to it’s reliability and scalability.
Definition Public vs. Private Cloud
At the end I would like to pick out a topic which bothered me a little, because everyone discussed that during the hole conference. After defining “What is Cloud Computing” over years, it was about finding the differents between a public and a private cloud. Actually I think that is a good idea, because it must be delimited, but if you hear that during every talk or panel it is pretty tough!
However, I would like to reflect a definition of the CloudExpo which is a well description of the context.
“A Private Cloud is a style of computing that delivers self-provisioned and automated IT capabilities as services to internal users on an immediate and as-needed basis.”
A Private Cloud is thus characterized by the following properties:
- Self-service
- Elasticity & Scalability
- Automation
- Virtualization
- Traditional data center
Conclusion
The presentations on the Cloud Expo Europe have shown, the time is right for Enterprise Cloud Computing! Furthermore this was affirmed by the survey concerning the global Cloud Computing interest mentioned above. In what way the Cloud will be adopt – as a Private, Public oder Hybrid Cloud – we will see in the next upcoming months.
From the beginning my opinion was that in 80 – 90% of all cases the concept of a Hybrid Cloud will prevail. So, the fusion of Private and Public Clouds to increase the flexibility and optimize workloads.
