Cloud Computing: Lessons from Federal Agencies

Grazed from Midsize Insider. Author: Marissa Tejada.

Cloud computing is growing in use at federal agencies, according to a new survey that found that military, intelligence and civilian groups are rapidly adopting the cloud. Their reasons for adoption mirror those of midsize firms that are also increasingly choosing to transform their IT infrastructures with cloud services.

The Benefits

A new survey by Tripwire recently featured in Help Net Security found that U.S. federal agencies are experiencing important benefits as a result of cloud adoption. For example, 58 percent of agencies say that the cloud has improved their data security. Demonstrating an increase in trust, more than 50 percent are moving more sensitive data to the cloud, compared to just over 30 percent last year. In addition, more agencies are utilizing cloud vendors to help them optimize their IT…

The survey noted, however, that security concerns are still considered the principal grounds on which federal agencies opt not to migrate to the cloud; nonetheless, cloud adoption remains on the upswing thanks to its proven benefits. Only a few years back, the federal government announced its first cloud computing policy. Now, agencies are moving more sensitive data and work applications to the cloud. According to the survey, agencies are seeing a steady rise in the adoption of the government’s FedRAMP security controls policy, which ensures compliance and, as a result, helps to mitigate risks…

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