Novell backs Trusted Cloud Initiative

Many companies are still reluctant to embrace cloud computing

Novell and the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) have launched a new programme designed to boost cloud certification.

The Trusted Cloud Initiative is aimed at bringing cloud providers together to develop best practice compliance and systems management tools and standards.

The idea is that any company looking to adopt cloud-based systems will be able to turn to one trusted group for backing and advice.

"In traditional IT environments, the organisation controls its applications, servers and storage infrastructure. However, the control architecture changes profoundly for public cloud offerings," said Jim Reavis, executive director of the CSA.

"When an organisation moves IT resources and sensitive data such as personal names, addresses and phone numbers into the cloud, control and trust issues must be addressed through a trusted third-party certification programme. When Novell proposed the initiative, we immediately embraced the idea."

Members of the CSA, which include Novell, Microsoft, Dell, Rackspace, Qualys, HP, Intel, Cisco, McAfee, ISACA, DMTF and Symantec, will provide certification criteria, a seal, a roadmap and outreach services.

"The educational outreach components of the programme will be geared towards helping information security, IT audit and software development professionals within enterprises and cloud providers to better understand the security, identity and access, compliance, data governance, portability and interoperability requirements organisations must maintain to demonstrate compliance and mitigate risk in the cloud," said the CSA.