IT Security: Cloud Security Survey 2021

• Cloud security study by IDG and Arvato Systems
• Extensive findings on cloud security in companies

(Arvato Systems) – IDG Research Services, together with Arvato Systems and other partners, has published the "Cloud Security 2021" study. The results show: Companies have apparently realized that the cloud offers great potential for increasing IT security. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to be done.

The current study "Cloud Security 2021" was prepared jointly by IDG (Computerwoche, CIO Magazin) with Arvato Systems and other partners. Among other things, it shows that around 60 percent of the companies surveyed see the cloud as an opportunity to improve their IT security. At the same time, more than half of the companies do not earmark any additional budget for cloud security. And this is despite the fact that, according to the study, one in three companies has already suffered economic damage as a result of cloud attacks. It is therefore imperative to focus on the issue of cloud security.

In this context, it is clear that companies need to be more aware of the relationship of shared responsibility between cloud providers and cloud users. The responsibility for cloud security within the company itself should also be questioned once again and external support should also be considered. This is necessary because cloud security is a very complex field that requires a great deal of expertise and experience. Andreas Nolte, Head of Cyber Security at Arvato Systems: "When it comes to IT security, it is clear that Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) must be an important part of companies‘ security strategy. Due to their specialization, they can offer extensive expertise and intensively trained teams, which is not possible to a corresponding extent for most medium-sized companies." In the cloud environment, it is also important to consider the individual needs of a company, as Timo Schlüter, Business Consultant Cyber Security at Arvato Systems, explains: "Companies should be clear about what level of security makes sense for them and take a holistic approach: Prevention, Detection and Response measures combined with the three levels of Compliance, Technical Security and Security Operations."

The full study offers findings on cloud security issues around topics such as remote work, data protection, encryption, cloud providers, managed services and budgets. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Arvato Systems website at arvato-systems.de/cloud-security-studie. The study was prepared in German.