Cloud security has become a point of contention as IT departments struggle with ensuring corporate data is protected and vendors provide assurances that their architectures are safe. Although there is still some debate over whether the cloud is truly secure, a significant number of businesses have accepted that, properly implemented, the technology does add value.

Just as the cloud has disrupted business operations by adding scalable infrastructure to the mix, it has the potential to force IT security practices to adapt as well. Highlighting predictions from Gartner, Network World columnist Ellen Messmer reported that 10 percent of IT security will be cloud-delivered by 2015. This presents an opportunity for businesses, as it may lift some of the security software management burden. However, fears over loss of control may hinder adoption of cloud-based security suites. This issue led to Gartner's other prediction: Supporting technology such as data encryption software and improved authentication controls are likely to see parallel growth.

Businesses that do entrust a cloud vendor to protect sensitive data would be wise to keep some of their own safeguards in place. As Messmer noted, cloud service downtime would present a significant risk if the entirety of a company's information safeguards are with the provider. Accountability can be another headache, as a data breach is likely to impact the cloud consumer much more than it does the vendor. Therefore, it is critical for businesses to maintain some control of their security implementations.

Encryption protects data in the cloud
File encryption allows companies to maintain control over the safeguards used to protect their sensitive information, according to Thomas Trappler, director of software licensing at the University of California. Writing for Computerworld, Trappler noted that using data encryption software can address both data security and privacy concerns.

"[Encryption] can help mitigate concerns related to the data being hacked or even being legitimately accessed by a government, which is a particular concern when the data center where the data is being stored by the cloud vendor is located in a foreign country," Trappler wrote.

Trappler warned that using traditional security solutions can make a cloud migration more costly and time consuming. However, leveraging file compression software that works alongside encryption can actually lower cloud storage costs, further optimizing the efficiency of the technology.