As Government Adopts Cloud, Security Takes Center Stage

By Author: Skyhighnetworks
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According to Pinetree Associates analyst Harvey Tan, “Federal agencies have adopted cloud computing at an incredible clip. Estimates suggest 85% of cloud adoption from federal agencies.” This figure is supported by a recent TechAmerica survey, which outlines the drastically increased actions for and intentions to adopt cloud-based services by federal chief information officers and information technology teams. This rapid move to the cloud by federal organizations can be attributed to three priorities of chief information officers and information technology teams.

According to TechAmerica, those three priorities encompass the following. First, Cybersecurity is a primary concern. When handling highly confidential government plans, or customer payment information, Cloud Security is of the highest security importance. According to one survey respondent, the need to “transform the cybersecurity mindset from compliance to a risk management perspective” is viewed as a priority. Likewise, managing the risk of security leaks and breaches is also of highest priority, especially ...
... when utilizing cloud services for storing confidential client information. In the MIT Technology Review, Amazon Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels stated, cloud security, “will forever be our number-one priority. It will be forever our number-one investment area. We really want the cloud to be the place where you want to keep your data if you want to have total control over who has access to it.”

Secondly, modernization is another priority. Federal level chief information officers and information teams are constantly looking to replace older technology with newer, advanced technology. As the vast majority of CIOs have been declaring their intentions to adopt the cloud, its quite evident they will pursue other cloud based computing and security options.

Thirdly, mobility is high on the totem pole of importance for chief information officers. Nowadays, work environments have become completely mobile, to allow for increased efficiency and According to Pinetree Associates analyst, Harvey Tan, “Twenty-five percent of chief information officers surveyed identified cloud mobility for employees as crucial for business operations”. The level of collaboration allowed via the cloud wherever they may be in the world is absolute crucial for global enterprises.

According to Diamond Crest Partners analyst, Justin Gray, “enterprises through multitudes of industries are displaying high levels of confidence and optimism for the cloud than ever before”. “For organizations that have been lazy in keeping up with information technology advancements, cloud-based services provide a drastic kick start to their technology stack and capabilities,” Gray stated. “For organizations that have kept up to speed with modern technology trends, the cloud provides increased efficiency & scalability at a lower cost. However, one particular area IT teams should take great interest in is cloud security” Gray believes cloud adoption will only continue to increase, and that eventually, core pieces of every enterprise will be enabled via the cloud.

In summary, federal chief information officers are actively pursuing options to adopt cloud-based services and cloud based systems for increased cloud security, mobility, & modernization. Cloud Security allows for enterprises to maintain their highly sensitive information easily accessible while under heavy encryption and security measures. Cloud mobility allows for increased efficiency worldwide, no matter where employees are – whether in the office or at the beach. Furthermore, modernization follows a trend to prepare for advanced technologies in the future to gain first mover advantage.

Author :
Skyhigh Networks, the Cloud Security Services company, enables companies to embrace Cloud Security Services with appropriate levels of security, compliance, and governance while lowering overall risk and cost. With customers in financial services, healthcare, high technology, media, manufacturing, and legal verticals, the company was a finalist for the RSA Conference 2013 Most Innovative Company award and was recently named a "Cool Vendor" by Gartner, Inc. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Skyhigh Networks is led by an experienced team and is venture-backed by Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. For more information, visit us at http://www.skyhighnetworks.com or follow us on Twitter@skyhighnetworks.