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. More than three quarters of IT decision makers (82 percent in the U.S.; 76 percent globally) say security is their main concern about using cloud-based services.
Approximately half of respondents (52 percent in the U.S.; 49 percent globally) even 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.
For more than half (54 percent in U.S. and globally) of IT decision makers, trusting a third party is also a concern. In the U.S., 40 percent (41 percent globally) of respondents have the impression that all cloud hosting 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 hosting service provider was the party at fault.
Adopting consumer services
Yet despite this, 69 percent in the U.S. (50 percent globally) say they have adopted mass-market ‘consumer’ services, rather than those designed specifically for the enterprise.
On opting for consumer solutions over cloud offerings tailored to the enterprise, 53 percent of U.S. 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 hosting applications and services are as effective as using those designed specifically for enterprise users.
The research was completed by Vanson Bourne for BT in July 2014. Interviews were carried out with 640 IT decision makers in medium to large sized organizations (1000+ employees) across eleven countries and regions – UK, France, Germany, US, Spain, Brazil, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and Australia – and in a range of sectors including finance, retail and public sector.
