Security concerns in Cloud Computing- I

There is a perception that cloud computing removes data compliance pains, however it should be clear that the data owner is still fully responsible for compliance.Cloud computing is not necessarily more secure; applications with years of expert development still contain undiscovered vulnerabilities that can be a risk to data security.
Gartner report helps us understand certain security concerns of Cloud Computing.Some of them are:
1) Sensitive data processed outside the enterprise brings with it an inherent level of risk, because outsourced services bypass the "physical, logical and personnel controls" IT shops exert over in-house programs. Get as much information as you can about the people who manage your data. "Ask providers to supply specific information on the hiring and oversight of privileged administrators, and the controls over their access

2) Customers are ultimately responsible for the security and integrity of their own data, even when it is held by a service provider. Traditional service providers are subjected to external audits and security certifications. Cloud computing providers who refuse to undergo this scrutiny are "signaling that customers can only use them for the most trivial functions

3)When you use the cloud, you probably won't know exactly where your data is hosted. In fact, you might not even know what country it will be stored in. Ask providers if they will commit to storing and processing data in specific jurisdictions, and whether they will make a contractual commitment to obey local privacy requirements on behalf of their customers

Few more risks in the next post...