Startup company offers cloud regulatory aid

A software company recently began offering cloud security aid to Salesforce.com customers. The service provides data encryption for cloud service users.

The service works by encrypting data before it can be transmitted to the cloud system. While it is in the cloud, the data is unreadable and useless to anyone who might try to access it.

"Database theft, accidental leaks, law enforcement subpoenas to the SaaS provider and even identity theft all become harmless, and regulatory compliance is ensured,” said the company.

The software then decrypts the data when it is sent back to end-users, making it readable again. Enterprises using the software retain control of the encryption keys. The service runs in the background of a system, therefore requiring no changes to SaaS code.

The system is based on Linux and has three components - a proxy server that resides between the SaaS application and the clients, an encryption engine and a web-based management and security policy tool.

Cloud security, especially for public clouds, has been a significant issue for enterprises looking into cloud computing. However, some experts believe that public cloud computing, even without decryption devices, is just as safe as private cloud computing.