Appoint a Cloud Computing Strategist for Cloud Adoption!

Many business are still on the fence because they do not have a Cloud Computing Strategy for cloud adoption.
Many business are still moving into the cloud without clear direction and in most cases it is being driven by the business leaders rather then the IT department which increases the Business Risk.
If your business does not have a Cloud Computing Strategy then it is best to hire an outside cloud computing strategist who can help you put together one. A good cloud computing strategy will make sure you have a cost effective and safe boat for your cloud journey. 

A good cloud computing strategy will ensure a safe boat for your cloud journey.
Photo Courtesy : Dr. Ajay Gopal

The first step is in choosing the right Cloud Computing strategist for your cloud journey. You need a strategist who is an expert at cloud computing technology,is vendor independent and one who can identify the strategic enablers for the success of your business. In today's world the cloud computing strategist could be located anywhere in the world, the cloud provides all the collaboration tools needed to put together an effective Cloud Computing strategy for your business. 

Once you choose the Cloud Computing strategist it will be good for you to share you business strategy and also your expectations from cloud computing. You must make sure the cloud strategist works with your business leaders in choosing the right solutions which will work for your business; you need to make sure the strategist also includes the methodology and project plan for your business to leverage the cloud including the migration and deployment of new applications. Finally the strategist must also help your team choose the right vendor for your business and must be capable of working with your legal team in sewing the agreements with the cloud vendor to mitigate Risk. 

Be assured if you adopt a Cloud Computing Strategy with an vendor independent strategist your boat into the cloud will be reliable and economical. All the best for your journey into the world of cloud computing. 

P.S. : This post is inspired by Mr.Loknath Patro.

Blackberry in the Washing Machine

BlackBerry in the Washing Machine

About a month ago I bought my first Blackberry (BB); BlackBerry offered more in security and also awesome features.
Though it was priced more than an Android or Windows phone I decided to go ahead and buy a BB.
Soon the BB and I became inseparable, it was my constant companion for my Email and Twitter streams.
BB had an awesome  camera and I put it to work to capture some wonderful pictures; the music player was ideal for my morning walk.
The Blackberry controls grew as an extension of my personality.

I was shattered when I discovered that my Blackberry had gone through a full wash cycle in the washing machine.
It looked normal and there was not a speck of water in the phone and there was no damage since it was in the case.
It was a nice long walk in the morning and somehow the Blackberry made it to the washing machine with my laundry.
I tried to revive the Blackberry but is was a non starter, it was not going to wake up it was dead as a doornail.

I  rushed my BB to the Blackberry support center, they told me they would tell me in a week whether my BB could be saved or I need to buy a new BB.
Meanwhile my fingers twitch for my Blackberry Phone, the spare phone does not measure up to my BB.
My children tell me I should buy a waterproof phone, but I am confident that my BB will be repaired and will be back in action soon.
Meanwhile I used my twitching fingers to pen this blog post, hope you enjoyed reading it.

CISO will be the future CEO in a Cloud Enabled World

Last week I had an opportunity to address some of the finest CISO's in India about the Cloud Security Alliance and Securing Cloud Computing .
Interacting with these CISO's convinced me that they have the potential to be future CEO's as Business is adopts Cloud Computing for agility and economics.
As business moves to the cloud for  computing  IT GRC will be a key driver for acceptance of Cloud Computing.
The CISO will be like a large tree protecting the organization from vulnerabilities and ensuring  business continuity in the Cloud.

CISO is like a large tree providing protection .

The Wikipedia defines the Influence of the CISO.

Typically, the CISO's influence reaches the whole organization. Responsibilities include:

• Information security and information assurance
• Information regulatory compliance (e.g., US PCI DSS, FISMA, GLBA, HIPAA; UK Data Protection Act 1998; Canada PIPEDA)
• Information risk management
• Information technology controls for financial and other systems
• Information privacy
• Computer Emergency Response Team / Computer Security Incident Response Team
• Identity and access management
• Information security architecture
• IT investigations, digital forensics, eDiscovery
• Disaster recovery and business continuity management
• Information Security Operations Center ISOC
  Source :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_information_security_officer

The CISO knows the business risks best,  the compliance and regulatory issues, the people and their roles  plus the threats and vulnerabilities that could harm the business. 

The CISO is the most important leader at a time of disaster and entrusted with Business continuity management. The CISO is the key leader  in ensuring the continuity of the business in times of calamity. 

 In today's changing world of cloud computing it is the CISO who can give the confidence and assurance of the security offered in deploying cloud computing either public, private or hybrid. 

It is the CISO who assures and overcomes the compliance issues raised by regulators; the CISO also understands the compliance needs of the business best. 

In future the Board will groom the CISO as the future business leaders and the CISO will take center stage for cloud adoption by the Business.

The CISO will be center stage in taking the business to the Cloud and will provide the assurance for the safety of adopting Cloud Computing. 

Welcome today's  CISO, the future CEO of the Corporation !