How Cloud Computing Companies Make Their Data Centers Hacker-Proof

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: Robert Shaw.

Cloud computing naysayers have long cited security and privacy as their number one concerns. While more and more companies are adopting cloud services, many corporations and small businesses are still hesitant to embrace the cloud because of concerns about lax security and hacker attacks.

Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon claim to have extremely strong security and have never reported a major security breach. But smaller companies like Dropbox and Zappos have, but the breaches were typically due to internal programming bugs. The question is, should consumers believe that their data is safe with major cloud players? Can cloud computing giants really deliver on their security promises? The answer, in most cases, is a resounding yes. The largest U.S. data centers are almost always certified by the federal government under programs like FISMA and SAS 70 Type II certification. Cloud companies that hold these designations have implemented physical and cyber security measures…

Data center security starts with physical security. Large data centers typically employ a sizable number of armed guards, as well as technological measures such as high-resolution video monitoring, motion tracking, and analytics software, biometric and/or electronic keycard locks, and extremely strict policies on who has access to servers and other sensitive equipment. Employees are also subject to background checks and screenings as thorough as possible for non-defense organizations…

Read more from the source @ http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2012/11/how-cloud-computing-companies-make-their-data-centers-hacker-proof/