McAfee aims to ease cloud security fears

McAfee's Cloud Secure platform will offer vendors a combined security and certification service

McAfee has launched a new service aimed at easing fears over enterprise cloud computing services.

The new Cloud Secure platform will offer vendors a combined security and certification service based on its Smart Protection Network. The service will combine the Smart Protection Network with certification standards, auditing and daily security scans.

Marc Olesen, senior vice president and general manager of software-as-a-service at McAfee, told V3.co.uk: "It is really about driving a greater deal of confidence.

"Most cloud providers today are doing annual security audits. We feel like that is a great start, but it's not enough."

The company said that the service was just as much about providing peace of mind for customers as providing protection for cloud security vendors.

Security concerns have become a major worry for cloud computing services because many enterprise users have become wary about the risk of data theft and breaches from hosted services.

McAfee is hoping to allay those worries by providing a security platform and certification, which can be displayed to customers. Additionally, the company is working with the Cloud Security Alliance to obtain a Secure Trust mark.

"It is about giving customers of cloud providers confidence," said Olesen.

"When customers see that a cloud provider is secured at a level that the CSA supports, they know what they're getting."