Cloud computing is gaining customer attention at a fascinating
pace. An Infonetics research report
published in early 2011 noted a significant increase in customers' interest in
cloud computing between 2009 and 2010-most of respondents indicated interest in
2010, up from only 10% in 2009. Many studies have
concluded that software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service
(IaaS) are leading the way in adopting cloud computing. Meanwhile according to
an April 2011 Forrester report, the third largest cloud category, platform as a
service (PaaS) is predicted to surpass IaaS to
become the second largest cloud category by 2014.
According to Forrester, security is one of the top barriers to cloud
computing. While cloud computing increases business agility, scalability, and
efficiency, it also introduces new security risks and concerns. The challenges
are complex because they involve not only technology issues but also substantial
process changes due to the new business computing models.
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Cloud security is a major issue.
And don't be fooled by the fact that this focuses on Cisco. The first half of the paper is generic and does a great job of addressing various points that must be addressed. And even though the second half of the paper addresses Cisco's solutions, it provides a great benchmark regardless of your exact choice of provider.
Very highly recommended.