Firms urged to plan for cloud computing model

Firms seeking to integrate cloud services into their operations must make sure they plan carefully for this move, it has been claimed.

Writing for Help Net Security, Cyber Ark vice-president of products, strategy and sales Adam Bosnian said a risk analysis is always necessary when firms decide to adopt this model.

In comments of interest to virtual private server users, he said conducting this task can show how firms are best able to maximise the benefits of the cloud.

Mr Bosnian said issues such as data access authority, security and location must be addressed prior to launch.

He added: "These are questions that need to be asked by the audit team before negotiations with the cloud service provider begin."

Cloud computing can really work for most organisations, he said, but it is always necessary to take a few simple precautions at the outset.

Last week, Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, claimed that by outsourcing IT tasks to specialists such as web hosting providers, firms can reduce costs and their environmental impact.

Written by Mark Hainsby