As organizations from government agencies to large enterprises shift their focus to information security, it will become more important to ensure that businesses use data protection software as they implement new technology solutions. The data security challenge was recently highlighted at Gartner's symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Florida when analysts projected a dramatic increase in IT security spending. According to PC Advisor columnist Michael Cooney, analysts predicted security investments to grow 56 percent within the next five years.

More importantly, Cooney noted, was the type of incident that will result in compromised information. During 2013, Gartner expects 80 percent of all cloud security incidents to be caused by administrative errors. The article noted in particular that cloud providers and user management mistakes will account for a significant number of these data security issues. In response to the threat, Gartner predicted organizations are likely to adopt security solutions such as data encryption software that are separate from the cloud infrastructure.

In addition to the risks presented by data theft itself, Cooney reported that organizations are likely to face more stringent regulatory and compliance requirements, making data security paramount. As Gartner's predictions suggest, security solutions that guard beyond the outer wall of network and cloud infrastructures is necessary to protect growing volumes of cloud-stored data.

Encryption for cloud security
Although many companies have been overly cautious with their moves to the cloud, providers are often quick to claim that they can offer improved security over in-house solutions. According to ComputerWeekly columnist Jennifer Scott, this has created a legitimate barrier to cloud adoption as organizations fear they will lose control of their assets.

"[I]t is not the solutions that are the problem for companies," Scott wrote. "It is widely agreed that putting your data in the hands of companies with billion-dollar budgets for security alone will lead to a much safer environment than keeping it in your own datacenter. But it is fear of giving up control of the data in the first place that remains a concern."

For organizations considering a cloud migration, Scott suggested to ensure that the provider will allow the business to not only encrypt its own data but to maintain control over the encryption keys. This way, information remains protected if an attacker compromises the vendor's system.