Australian government urges caution when moving to the cloud

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

In an effort to improve security practices among Australian government agencies, the country's Department of Defence recently issued a report designed to help agencies deploy cloud services safely and effectively.

The report noted that cloud computing can help agencies optimize their IT solutions while also reducing the cost of their operations. However, it also stated that there is a number of security risks inherent in cloud solutions.

The department encouraged agencies to develop risk assessment practices that help government IT managers make informed decisions about which cloud computing solutions will help them achieve business goals while also providing acceptable levels of data protection. Among the recommendations suggested are working with cloud services providers that have a trustworthy reputation, addressing governance and security risks in contracts and conducting third-party audits.

Additionally, the department recommended agencies work with cloud vendors that operate within Australia, unless the information stored in the cloud is publicly available.

While questions over security are still prevalent, many experts have noted that these concerns may be misguided. According to a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report, government agencies can actually enhance cyber security efforts by relying on cloud vendors, many of which are more experienced and have more resources to protect data.