Highly regulated industries slow to adopt cloud services
25 August 2011 16:29:38
While much of the private sector has already begun to take advantage of cloud service offerings, the public sector, as well as healthcare and insurance organizations, continue to approach the new technology with skepticism and caution.
According to Insurance and Technology, insurance companies are beginning to use cloud services piece by piece, as maintaining regulatory compliance and storage of sensitive personal information make the cloud a potential liability. However, insurance companies benefit from certain cloud components, such as Software-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service options, the website reports.
"Security for non-public, private information remains a huge concern for insurers, as it is a business issue that spans beyond just a technology issue," Rick Roy, CIO of CUNA Mutual Group, told the source. By shopping around for the most secure cloud service provider, the website asserts, insurance companies can rest assured data will be properly protected.
Earlier this month, InfoSecurity released a report stating the Cloud Security Alliance will begin to provide a Security, Trust and Assurance Registry to consumers. STAR is intended to make the security practices of each cloud vendor clear to the consumer, and could quell some of the concerns of insurance companies in the future.
-McAfee Cloud Security
