But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on ev'ryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all....
I think Joni Mitchell summed it up well when she said "I really don't know clouds at all".
There's been a lot of discussion about cloud computing, what it is, what it isn't and the benefits and concerns around it. Much of the discussion indicates that while it isn't a mature enough concept, a lot of organizations are charging forward and putting their information assets at risk in this environment. One of my most recent favorite articles made a brilliant observation.
The writer, Ed Sperling, stated "In all companies, cloud computing needs to be part of an overall security risk management equation. It's easier to figure out in newer companies, but the process is still the same. Still, cloud computing should never be viewed as simply a way to save money unless a company doesn't care about security or doesn't have anything to steal. And in that case, why is the company even in business?" And I think it's a valid point to raise.
Risk is a critical component to consider when it comes to the storage and management of information assets, the lifeblood of many organizations. You need them to make informed decisions and to perform the 'business of your business', and protecting them form exposure is critical to ensure you retain your competitive edge over others.
Examples have been given where this seems to be a more logical option for consideration for SMBs (small to medium businesses) or for start ups, as a means of cost avoidance of procuring a large hardware infrastructure and minimizing the cost exposure related to application purchases. But again, I question this... if you're a new business and attempting to gain a foothold in the marketplace, wouldn't you want to do everything possible to keep your information as 'close to the breast' as possible? And while there isn't extensive evidence of the risk associated with cloud storage, (we aren't hearing rampant stories of data exposure), even secure environments are being routinely hacked... so these environments are obviously much more prone to it.
I think the jury is still out on cloud... and I fear many may not like the final verdict when they eventually hear it.
