Physical Security Practitioners Learn how to Leverage the Cloud at ASIS
- By Brent Dirks
- Sep 20, 2011
A panel of cloud computing experts at ASIS on Monday helped inform physical security practitioners how they can use the use the new technology to their advantage.
The panelists agreed that the easiest way to describe the cloud is an amorphous, out-of-sight, out-of-mind mess of computer tasks that happen on someone else's computer.
"The technology is challenging to get your head around thing," said Shayne Baytes, who helps guide Microsoft Global Security's security cloud strategy "The cloud can be thought of as delivering IT as a standardized service."
There are three different cloud security models -- software as a service, platform as a service and infrastructure as a service.
Those are complimented by four types of clouds – private (solely for an organization), community (shared by several organizations), public (available to a general group) and hybrid (and mix of private and public clouds.)
And to highlight how important cloud computing is, Baytes showed research the predicted more than 34 percent of all data will run through the cloud by 2020.
Ben Butchko , president and CEO of Butchko Security Solutions, said that cloud computing is well suited for organizations dispersed across many locations.
Some of the ways cloud computing can be used by physical security professionals include access control, incident management, investigations, mass notification, video recording and surveillance, alarm monitoring and traffic control.
Even though the cloud does present advantages like less infrastructure investments and reduce maintenance costs, there are many issues to consider, including bandwidth and economy of scale, Butchko said.
"The cloud is just simply another way to handle data," Butchko said.
Along with the interest in cloud computing, professionals need to understand the security issues.
Mano Paul, software assurance advisor with (ISC)2, said confidentiality is key with information in the cloud.
The three top issues with protecting data is leakage from physical threats and hacking and access.
"The enemy within the firewall is as deadly a the one outside," Paul said. "We're now seeing that it's a 50/50 split from inside threats and outside threats."
About the Author
Brent Dirks is senior e-news/Web editor for Security Products and Network-Centric Security magazines.