Cyber attacks and regulations don't change businesses' digital transformation plans

Businesses looking to digitally transform won’t be intimidated by cyber-attacks or data protection regulations, according to a new report by Advanced.

Based on a poll of more than 500 senior executives in UK organizations, Advanced says organizations are concerned, but won’t give up.

Security (82 percent) and data protection (68 percent) of cloud solutions top the list of concerns, but 80 percent of them won’t quit digitally transforming.

A third (33 percent) say they’re experienced in the cloud and will consider it for new projects. Another third (37 percent) have recently launched cloud projects for the first time.

Businesses do, however, want better support from the government, it is said. More than four fifths (82 percent) want to see cloud providers do more to build confidence among those looking to digitally transform. Businesses expect financial stability (69 percent), UK-based data centers (65 percent) and local support (58 percent).

Jon Wrennall, CTO at Advanced, says: "It’s encouraging to see businesses are undeterred from using the cloud, which is fast becoming the right choice for many to drive efficiencies, innovate and grow. Sadly we are seeing the same concerns around security and data protection reported over and over again. It’s right to be concerned about security; it’s time that all of us as cloud services providers take a reality check."

"As an industry and profession, we all need to proactively give clear guidance on security responsibilities and support organizations in being better protected, ensuring devices and applications are properly patched and secured -- those writing the software are clearly best placed to provide this. With General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force next year we also have a duty of care to provide clarity on how data is being stored and secured in the cloud."

"There’s still a job to be done in creating trust in the cloud and helping customers use the cloud in the right way for the digital transformation that’s right for them. Our survey shows most organizations want financially stable providers and prefer those that store data locally and offer local support; this will become even more pertinent as Britain leaves the European Union. They will trust the providers that offer certainty in an uncertain market and those with a vested interest in the UK and the cloud."

The full report can be found on this link.

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