Public clouds have some security advantages, expert says

With cloud computing surging in popularity, some corporations remain concerned about protecting their data once it is moved to the cloud. As a result, many firms prefer private clouds to public clouds, believing the former is more secure. However, one expert believes that is not the case.

Speaking at the recent Garnet Symposium in Sydney, Australia, analyst Andrew Walls said public clouds are just as safe as private clouds and even have some advantages. According to Walls, the commonly held view to favor security on private clouds stems from the mistaken belief that controlling one’s own data makes it safer.

"This is a problem because people are clearly seeing that this method of obtained services has a security impact, but when you say it's private, they say the method is irrelevant," Walls said.

According to Walls, while corporations controlling their own clouds tend to practice their old, potentially outdated security methods, public clouds are subject to significantly more scrutiny and face strict standards regulations.

Despite security concerns, most IT decision makers hold a positive view of cloud computing. According to a recent survey, 89 percent of respondents called cloud computing an opportunity, not a threat.