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Cloud Security Alliance Launches Innovation Program

Whether companies are already computing in cloud environments, planning to do so, or thinking about how those systems will be kept secure as part of workforce management, cloud security will be a popular topic at the third annual Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) summit held at the RSA (News - Alert) Conference.

Over the past year, there has been an increase in cloud security awareness and bring cloud security into workforce management. According to a computerworld.com article, the CSA announced its latest initiatives such as examining ways to better secure mobile devices through cloud computing, looking at ways to drive more security innovation, and a push into the Asia-Pacific region.

Jim Reavis, co-founder and executive director of the CSA, said in the article, "I think there's a sense around the world of a bigger push of cloud adoption, and we want to help prepare the industry for this move."

According to the CSA, the open market has produced inadequate information security for cloud computing. Security solutions have been developed by an inefficient system of investors that are more interested in developing technologies that manage the problems enterprises face, not actually solve them. The group hopes to identify key structural issues related to trust and security that inhibit the adoption of next-generation information technology. CSA plans to create technology solutions that address systemic cloud computing security gaps.

"Not everyone agrees, but I feel that what we have developed is an internet that the bad guys own and they let us use it and the venture capitalists have looked for ways to profit as opposed to solving issues,” said Reavis.

The initiative will comprise both a working group within the CSA, as well as for-profit organizations working with innovators. Those innovators can develop relevant solutions with or without CSA assistance, and request that the CSA working group assess the solution and its potential value.

This year, the CSA has also pushed a mobile computing initiative. The CSA Mobile working group will conduct fundamental research to help secure mobile endpoint computing by using cloud technologies.

Some areas will include securing application stores and other public entities deploying software to mobile devices, cloud-based mobile management, provisioning, as well as policy and data management of mobile devices.

The third CSA initiative is an international push into the Asia-Pacific, including the selection of an Asian-Pacific headquarters, and working closely with government, legal, service providers, technology providers and consumers and other stakeholders in the region.

"CSA has largely been viewed as being North American centric, but cloud computing is a global phenomenon that requires global solutions," said Reavis.