12 Jan 2009

Data hosted in the cloud 'more secure'

A computer security expert has commented that the cloud could offer a more secure resource for data storage.

Firms could make their IT infrastructure more secure by hosting data in the cloud, it has been suggested.

According to Robert Winter, chief engineer of data recovery at storage software firm Kroll Ontrack, data storage services managed by a third-party can assist firms by looking after sensitive data on their behalf.

"That [the cloud] would definitely be a recommended approach as a third party will look after the security, and you won't be left holding any confidential information," he commented.

He made the comments after warning businesses of the potential dangers involved in manually disposing hard drives.

Even if a company erases data and presents the drives to a recycling firm, they are potential security risks if they are not delivered properly or if correct procedures are not followed, Mr Winter warned.

Which Computing? last week revealed that after buying eight second hand computers from the online auction site eBay, it was able to download data recovery software for free off the internet and gain access to more than 22,000 'deleted files' on the hard drives.