Trust in the cloud is at an all-time low

Data security and trust in cloud-based services are a rapidly growing concern for IT decision makers within large organizations, according to a new global study from BT.

While 79 percent of those surveyed in the US (70 percent globally) are adopting cloud storage and web applications within their business, their confidence around cloud security is at an all-time low.

Yet despite this, 69 percent in the US (50 percent globally) say they have adopted mass market ‘consumer’ services, rather than those designed specifically for the enterprise.

The new study explores the attitudes to, and use of, cloud-based services of IT decision makers from enterprise organizations in eleven countries and regions around the world.

It reveals that more than three quarters of IT decision makers (82 percent in the US; 76 percent globally) say security is their main concern about using cloud-based services. Approximately half of respondents (52 percent in the US; 49 percent globally) admit that they are ‘very or extremely anxious’ about the security implications of these services. This is a substantial increase of 10 percent globally from previous research in 2012.

On opting for consumer solutions over cloud offerings tailored to the enterprise, 53 percent of US respondents (48 percent globally) have the impression that enterprise cloud applications and services are too expensive and 58 percent (44 percent globally) hold the belief that mass market public cloud applications and services are as effective as using those designed specifically for enterprise users.

For more than half (54 percent in US and globally) of IT decision makers, trusting a third party is also a concern. In the US, 40 percent (41 percent globally) of respondents have the impression that all cloud services are inherently insecure and 22 percent (26 percent globally) of those surveyed said that they had experienced a data breach incident where their cloud service provider was the party at fault.

Mark Hughes, president of BT Security, said: “The adoption of cloud services has increased rapidly across the globe. Organizations are looking to reap the numerous benefits – such as scalability, fast deployment and ubiquitous network access – these services can offer. It is an interesting paradox that the survey has exposed – on the one hand decision makers are concerned about the security implications of using public cloud services but on the other, their buying decisions seem to be driven by short term cost perceptions. We invite these decision makers to also weigh up the reputational cost and impact on their brand of a cloud security breach. Enterprise cloud applications and services are designed to help businesses realize the possibilities in the cloud while substantially decreasing risk.”