Cloud security's PR problem shouldn't be shrugged off
A recent Harris Poll shows that cloud computing's lack of security -- or at least its perception -- is making many Americans uneasy about the whole idea
Follow @DavidLinthicum"One of the main issues people have with cloud computing is security. Four in five online Americans (81 percent) agree that they are concerned about securing the service. Only one-quarter (25 percent) say they would trust this service for files with personal information, while three in five (62 percent) would not. Over half (58 perent) disagree with the concept that files stored online are safer than files stored locally on a hard drive and 57 percent of online Americans would not trust that their files are safe online."
That's the sobering conclusion from a recent Harris poll conducted online between March 1 and 8 among 2,320 adults.
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Cloud security has a significant PR problem. I'm sure there will be comments below about how cloud computing, if initiated in the context of a sound security strategy, is secure -- perhaps moreso than on-premise systems. While I agree to some extent, it's clear that the typical user does not share that confidence, which raises a red flag for businesses seeking to leverage the cloud.
If you think about it, users' fears are logical, even though most of us in the know understand them to be unfounded. For a typical user, it's hard to believe information stored remotely can be as safe as or safer than systems they can see and touch.
