MUMBAI, INDIA: The term cloud computing has become ubiquitous in the tech world and even SMB companies are leading the pack to opt for cloud services.

Of course they are concerned about the security implications of making the transition to cloud computing.

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In fact the perception of threats for cloud computing is diverse. Some CIOs worry that the data is not safe on a cloud as it can be hacked into. Others feel that the cloud service can act as a wormhole for hackers to attack their own networks.

But here’s a newsflash for them. The cloud can’t be secured. And if you stop to think about it, is there a need to secure it?  states that for a SMB business owner cloud computing is attractive from a cost point of view. But he cautions that its security is yet to be proven convincingly.

SMB owners should focus on how to secure their assets and resources which connect with the cloud and are within their control, as a first step. This ensures they have a more efficient network to securely leverage benefits of the cloud.

There is still some distance to go before cloud is recognized for safety, till then SMB owners should focus on taking the first step of securing the access points at their end to the cloud.

One of the compelling reasons that vendors have been using to get their customers to shift their processes to a cloud is the freedom from managing the security of their data assets. When a customer subscribes to a cloud service, the onus of ensuring the security of this data gets transferred automatically to the service provider.

At a time when IT budgets are dissolving, this will come as music to the ears of IT managers and CIOs. But before they pop the champagne they need to bear in mind one fact – just because the service provider is taking the charge for the security of the data on the cloud, it does not mean that they will also take the responsibility that the data complies to various international regulations.