IT solutions consultancy, ramsac announces the results of a new Report on Data Security and the Cloud, launched with leading legal practice DMH Stallard LLP.

The Report – entitled ‘Secure Your Data in the Cloud’ – aims to give those organisations with real concerns as they migrate from on-premise provisioning to Cloud based solutions, answers to a host of questions relating to the issue of security. It follows ‘Secure Your Data – Protect Your Business’, published last year, which contained best practice recommendations arising from interviews with a number of organisations on how they treat data.

Robert May the Managing Director of IT specialist ramsac, commented on the Report, “Whilst adopting Cloud Computing for business can offer many exciting advantages in regards to cost structure and availability of data, it also presents a new set of potential security risks. Our own experience with clients backs up the statistics that businesses are rightly concerned that a move to the Cloud shouldn’t mean having to make any compromises on data security and many of the same safeguards that apply to hosting your own IT network on-premises need to be applied if data is stored remotely. It’s important that organisations fully investigate their own specific security needs and potential problems and ensure that any data held in the Cloud passes the same vigorous checks as it would do if hosted anywhere else.”

According to recent research by the Cloud Industry Forum, data security is cited by 82 per cent of companies as a key concern for them as they take the decision to migrate to the Cloud.  This was followed rapidly by data privacy at 69 per cent.

Frank Jennings, Head of Commercial, DMH Stallard LLP and author of the Report, stated: “Industry surveys consistently show that data security is the number one concern when it comes to Cloud adoption. The Report aims to answer key questions being asking about Cloud solutions and we have asked a host of industry experts for their views as well as our own. The answers themselves reveal that data is not inherently more insecure in the Cloud than on-premise. According to our experts it is all down to what safeguards there are and the responsibility for this resides with the data owner themselves.”

The Report also takes five key lessons learnt from the research:

1. Keeping data secure is not so much about whether it is on-premise or in the Cloud as it is about putting in place proper safeguards
2. You should classify your data according to importance and adopt security measures accordingly
3. Undertake diligence on your providers. Make sure they have a good reputation, have achieved recognised accreditations and have addressed security to your satisfaction
4. Don’t just look after the technology. Remember security is about people too
5. Take practical steps to protect your data and then cover this off in the contracts with customers, staff and suppliers.

The Report can be downloaded free by visiting www.dmhstallard.com/data_security or by emailing frank.jennings@dmhstallard.com

Additionally, ramsac and DMH Stallard will also be holding a free seminar on Data Security at ramsac’s offices in Godalming at 5pm on Tuesday 23rd April. For more details on the event or ramsac services please visit www.ramsac.com or phone 0844 225 1600.

About ramsac
Founded in 1991, ramsac offers a ‘menu’ of outsourced stress-free IT services that allows clients to match their individual needs. For some clients it may simply be support at the end of the phone, for others a part-time network manager, for many businesses its help in developing a longer term overall IT strategy. Whatever the requirement clients are guaranteed impartial, jargon-free advice.

This enables those businesses and organisations for which a dedicated in-house IT department may not be practical, to outsource all or part of their IT needs. In return they benefit from properly planned cutting edge IT solutions and support without any of the headaches often associated with managing technology. The end result is that any business can now get top level joined-up grown up IT advice for a fraction of the cost.

ramsac is committed to providing excellence in customer service and is proud to maintain a 97% client retention rate. The company won the 2011 Toast of Surrey Award for the ‘Companies with a turnover of up to £5m’ category. ramsac is also an ISO 9001 Quality Approved firm, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a Citrix Silver Partner and an accredited Investor in People.

Further information (external website)