Early-adopter criminals embrace cloud computing; need for "inside-out" security

Early-adopter criminals embrace cloud computing

Toby Wolpe ZDNet UK

Published: 10 Feb 2010 16:53 GMT

Executives unsure of the viability of cloud computing need look no further than the criminal fraternity for a ringing endorsement of the technology, according to a security expert.

Cloud computing has been enthusiastically taken up by criminals for a range of activities, Rik Ferguson, senior security adviser at security firm Trend Micro, told delegates at a Westminster eForum on Wednesday.

"One of the things that persuades me personally that the cloud is absolutely a viable model and has longevity is that it has already been adopted by criminals," Ferguson said. "They are the people who are leading-edge adopters of technology that is going to work and going to stick around for a long time.

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He said organisations need to rethink their security models, which have traditionally been "outside-in" and focused on stopping intruders entering networks. "When we become consumers of cloud we have to change the way we think and focus on inside-out security," he said.

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