Cloud computing has received a lot of popularity in the last few years and market observers believe it to be the future, but not if security problems persist.
For people who are not familiar with cloud computing, it is the practice that involves usage of network servers that are remotely located. Users can access the remote servers via the Internet to manage, store and process relevant data, rather than on the personal computer of a local server.
Many businesses are using cloud computing that usually turns out to be cheaper, faster and easy to maintain. Now, not only businesses but regular Internet users are also using cloud computing services such as Google Docs, Dropbox and more to access their files whenever and wherever they want.
Cloud computing has accelerated with the wide use of the Internet services as well as development of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Many people carry their portable devices when not on their desk and easily access their documents, media and pictures on cloud storage via the Internet.
With the development in technology market, experts are also worried about the increased security needs for cloud computing.
"There's no more debate," says Rajat Bhargava, co-founder of JumpCloud, a cloud security startup. "When you don't own the network, it's open to the rest of the world, and you don't control the layers of the stack, the cloud - by definition - is more insecure than storing data on premises."
Some members of Open Data Center Alliance, a consortium that includes top IT companies of the world such as SAP, Infosys, Deutsche Telekom, Disney and more, are believed to be cloud enthusiasts. However, a recent survey of the members reveal that around 66 percent of the consortium's members are concerned regarding data security, which is deferring their efforts for cloud computing. A similar survey done in previous years indicated that around 80 percent of the members were skeptic about entering cloud computing due to security concerns.
Security issues over cloud computing is definitely one of the major concerns that many companies are trying to recognize. However, some companies are also concerned about regulatory issues. Market observers say that 47 percent of the participants in the survey worry that they will be tied to one provider of cloud storage.
Amazon Web Services is a prominent cloud computing provider in the industry. The department is the fastest growing department of Amazon. However, in Oct. 2012, services failed for a while. Users who had their files stored with Amazon Web Services were unable to access their documents.
Experts opine that cloud computing is at its nascent stage and providers will have to address issues related security, availability, and more to expand in the future.
