InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

Uncle Sam is a leader in the secure use of cloud services. Here's what FedRAMP and FISMA can teach you.

Hiring the wrong security pro can be a costly mistake that could set your company back years in terms of risk reduction. But finding the right person isn't easy: 39% of respondents to our staffing survey at security-focused companies say people with the required skill sets may be hard to find, and 18% say salary demands may exceed their budgets. But don't despair. We'll walk you through the steps you need to take to find the best security professionals.

Even as mobility and cloud take off, too many companies still leave data in the clear, spooked by operational concerns. Yes, key management remains a problem. But can you really afford not to encrypt?

Even as mobility and cloud take off, too many companies still leave data in the clear, spooked by operational and performance ­concerns. Yes, key management is still a problem. But here are five ways to use encryption without breaking your existing infrastructure, plus a look ahead at the next big thing: identity-based encryption.

Here's what to look for in MDM software and what limitations IT still faces in letting employees use personal devices for work.

Nine in 10 IT pros think mobile will increase in importance, but fewer than half have deployed or are in the process of deploying mobile device management systems. Our review of suites from Good Technology, Symantec and Research In Motion, plus analysis of the most important MDM capabilities, reveals why some ­companies are holding off.

Tried-and-true methods like defense in depth can provide breathing room while you get a secure SDLC in place—a job still facing 56% of our 475 respondents. And they’d better get moving, because 51% of those with secure SDLC programs on their radar have developed and/or assumed responsibility for securing 11 or more Web apps.

Windows 8 continues the work that Microsoft undertook with ­Windows 7: to build a more secure operating system and browser from the ground up. The new OS makes significant changes around application controls to limit the fallout of exploits. It also offers ­improved password management tools, a beefed-up anti-malware package and more encryption options.

Our 2012 Cloud Security and Risk Survey finds a lot of concern about cloud security: 48% of respondents who won’t use the cloud cite security reasons for lack of adoption. Even those who use or are considering the cloud put security at the top of their list of concerns, ahead of performance and vendor lock-in. And yet, 40% of respondents using, planning to use or considering using public cloud services don’t have a security assessment process in place. That needs to change. Here’s how.

Identify the right threats for effective risk management.