Cloud and BYOD security move up IT priorities list

Two of the biggest topics discussed around the 2012 business water cooler have been bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and cloud computing. Businesses of all sizes have been reaping the benefits of new devices and strategies like remote workers and improved global communication.

There is an underside to the coin, however, namely security concerns. This is by no means a reason for businesses to shy away from adopting the technology, but rather an opportunity to examine IT infrastructure and security practices.

Not taking security measures into account is reckless. Just letting an employee log on to a company network or access cloud storage without any kind of fail safes or management steps can compromise business data.

IT departments are starting to open their eyes. Password systems, encryption, mobile device management software and antivirus programs are becoming required practices.

An infographic from Cloud Passage, shows that businesses around the world are starting to embrace cloud computing. So much so, that of the 201 IT professionals that were surveyed for the data in the infographic, 80 percent said that their companies are using cloud architecture.

The rise in security concerns can be seen in the sentiment of IT professionals. In 2011, 45 percent of tech workers surveyed were concerned about the lack of perimeter security protocols and network controls. Now that number has deceased to 23 percent.

Workforces becoming more comfortable with the cloud is good news for businesses. The disaster recovery capabilities alone are reason enough for companies to consider investing. An IT consulting firm can help any organization successfully implement these new solutions.

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