Enterprises’ Security Practices Not Keeping Pace With Cloud Growth, Studies Find

Grazed from Forbes.  Author: Joe McKendrick.

Two separate studies published this past week by Ponemon Institute reveal the holes in many organizations’ cloud security strategies, and even diminished security as cloud grows as a frenetic clip.  For starters, a study of 4,205 business and IT managers conducted by the Ponemon Institute and commissioned by Thales, an online security provider, finds an increasing number of organizations are transferring sensitive or confidential data to the cloud despite concerns over data protection. More than half of all respondents say their organization currently transfers sensitive or confidential data to the cloud – an increase of 10% compared with a comparable study conducted last year.

In the meantime, a separate survey of 798 IT and security professionals, conducted by Ponemon and underwritten by WatchDox, agrees that cloud computing is opening up a can of worms when it comes to sensitive data, and many organizations are not taking the necessary steps to protect this type of data on mobile devices and in the cloud. The survey finds 54 percent of respondents report they already have had, on average, five data breach incidents involving the loss or theft of a mobile device containing regulated data…

The Thales-sponsored study finds that while more sensitive and confidential data is moving to the cloud, many respondents say it decreases their security posture. Thirty-five percent of respondents say it has decreased their security posture, compared to only 15 percent saying it has been increased. This is a slight improvement from last year when 39 percent said it decreased their security posture…

Read more from the source @ http://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2013/06/29/enterprises-security-practices-not-keeping-pace-with-cloud-growth-studies-find/