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This is the first blog in a series of three on why and how companies are moving their building security management to the cloud.
I can’t tell you how many times a day building owners and security managers ask me if the cloud is a viable, secure solution for enterprise applications. While the cloud is certainly the right choice for many companies – and even a business necessity, in some cases – the jury is still out for others – and it may always be.
I get it. Like with any change in infrastructure, security managers and building owners must weigh the benefits and risks of moving to the cloud before incorporating it into their security management strategy. And for some, the apparent risk is just not worth it.
However, if you’re on the fence, and want some hardcore evidence that the cloud is the next step for your security management system, here are a few statistics that may just help.
Experience speaks…
A recent study called Security in the Cloud polled IT and security executives in a wide range of industries who had purchasing authority for their company’s security management solutions. The research report found that over 50% of the respondents already host their security management in the cloud.[1] That in and of itself is a significant number.
And yes, the research also showed that security – and threats like hacking and the protection of data – remains a major concern that could impede a move to the cloud for some. However, 57% of the overall respondents and 78% of the ones from the IT and technology sector believe the cloud is secure, and that’s a sentiment that was frequently reiterated in the report’s antidotal comments. The fact that IT and technology companies feel secure in the cloud is telling because security is always a major component of their core businesses.
Why should you trust the cloud?
One of the most reassuring factors for people considering the cloud is that cloud service providers typically have the latest, most innovative cybersecurity tools in place. These tools are almost always more advanced than what enterprises use in-house, so there is inherently less risk.
In fact, the pwc study, the Global State of Information Security 2016, found that 69% of those surveyed use cloud-based security services to help protect sensitive data and ensure privacy and the protection of consumer information. And in pwc’s 2017 report on the same topic, the authors noted that, “we believe that cloud computing services are foundational to the integration and management of the many moving parts of a threat-management program.”
If you are considering moving to the cloud, but are still hesitating, why not download this white paper, Security Management: Is the Cloud a Viable Option? It will give you an overview of security management market trends, as well as recent research on what other companies are doing today with their security operations. It also offers more insights and guidance on why organizations move their security to the cloud and the value of such a move. And finally, it can give you insight into what the key requirements are for a security management system that will keep your enterprise secure.
[1] Security in the Cloud, Morar Consulting, sponsored by Schneider Electric, December 2016.
