Cloud projects soar despite security fears

The number of businesses expecting to deploy at least one cloud application is set to rise in 2011. However, those who already began using the platform in the past claim that data management questions between them and the cloud providers led to security lapses.

"Based on our data, we see about five times more cloud applications coming online in the next few years, yet 43 percent of existing cloud users had a security incident last year, “ said Dave Asprey, vice president of Trend Micro. “On top of that, some respondents didn't even know they were using the cloud, much less securing it."

In a recent survey by Trend Micro, security considerations for virtual software were labeled by 50 percent of respondents as the largest roadblock faced by their companies as they made the switch over to the cloud, though the report claimed that performance and availability were quickly becoming equally important considerations.

Most responding to the survey did not rule out the cloud altogether, as 85 percent claimed they would deploy the platform with the assurance from a cloud provider that their cloud-based data would undergo proper encryption procedures.

Due to these security considerations, more cloud developers are including stringent security options for their services. According to Google, its new Chrome operating system will feature recovery and encryption measures.