Standards Help

Businesses are warming up to the direction that both voluntary and mandatory cloud security standards can provide. Almost two-thirds of businesses – 65 percent - follow standards from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), according to the survey. Others that are followed? ISO (followed by 37 percent), HIPPA (30 percent) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (27 percent).

When Guy Baroan talks with clients that adhere to HIPAA or FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), the president of Elmwood Park, N.J.-based Baroan Technology Management says they're looking at how much it will take for them to spend to improve cloud security. Baroan said he's also seeing an "uptick" on B2B organizations that are requiring business partners to ensure their cloud security is tight as well.

That "trickle down" effect is good for everybody, he told ITBestOfBreed.