Without question, cloud computing continues to be the hot topic of discussion in information technology circles. Vendors, customers and industry observers are all weighing in on the opportunities and challenges posed by the cloud.

Many IT professionals are, quite reasonably, asking question such as: “What does my job look like as the tech industry and my company move toward cloud computing?” Continue Reading

The growing corporate interest in application security products and testing services has prompted HP to step in and acquire its former partner in the market, Fortify Software. HP has paid an undisclosed sum for Fortify which has been working with HP to integrate its static app’ testing systems with HP’s dynamic, web-based app’ vulnerability testing services since last June. Continue Reading

After more than 50 years of investment in information security it would seem reasonable to expect the IT community to be winning its perennial battle with hackers, crackers and the assorted other threats to the integrity of corporate data and systems. The reality, sadly, is very different.

Although studies suggest that familiar threats such as viruses and the teenage hacker are less potent than they used to be, in most other respects the IT security challenge is still expanding faster than many chief information officers (CISOs), or their allies in the information security industry, will publicly care to admit.

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An essential part of cloud computing is service provision via the Internet, delivering IT and communications services via a pay-as-you-go model. It seems highly desirable and cost-effective, but there are commercial risks that might not quite make it to the negotiating table for consideration.

That service provision has also become known as SaaS (Software as a Service) from an ASP (Application Service Provider), with the umbrella phenomenon of supply and demand often now called Utility Computing. Many of the biggest players on the planet – Google, Microsoft and Amazon included – are investing heavily in their own particular flavour of cloud services and SaaS delivery ideas. Continue Reading