Businesses keen on Cloud, but unaware they already use it: SafeNet

Australian businesses are not averse to harnessing the Cloud inconjunction with an existing operation, according to a recent study by SafeNet.

Over 120 A/NZ IT leaders shared their insight into the Cloud for the study, titled SafeNet Cloud Security Survey, which found that 62 per cent were aware of and understood the hybrid Cloud.

When SafeNet chief technology officer, Russ Dietz, asked this question three or four years ago in North America, the result was somewhat different.

“It was more about people saying that they were not going to dabble with the Cloud and just keep their regular IT equipment,” he said.

“This result shows that people understand from a strategic standpoint that they are going to live in a very mixed world and probably for some time.”

For Dietz, the result was along the lines of what he was expecting and indicates that the market in A/NZ is quite mature.

Still in denial

A result that surprised Dietz was the admission by 40 per cent of businesses that they do not use any Cloud services.

For him, it demonstrates that people are “still in disbelief" that they are not really using the Cloud.

“I would have thought we would have caught up with that fact, as there is a high probably that every company, in some shape or form, is doing something in the Cloud,” he said.

“But you still get this response from 40 per cent of people saying that they don’t do anything in the Cloud.”

When asked what motives a business to use encryption to protect data in the Cloud, 80 per cent chose internal security policies.

“I was surprised at how many people are motivated to use encryption purely for their own policies,” Dietz said.

He said when this question was asked four or five years ago around the world, that was “no way near” the priority for encryption.

“It was the lowest thing on the totem pole,” Dietz said.

“But now it has become the culture in IT that they need to have good data compliance, and that is what you want to have.”