Partly Cloudy

Is Cloud Computing a good fit for your organization from a Disaster Recovery standpoint? Can you trust cloud-based services to provide reliable data protection? Will the services you purchase be secure? The answer to these questions will determine how pervasive Cloud technology becomes in the data management/data protection space. A number of our customers have launched cloud-based projects. Most tell me that the initiatives are driven by a need to reduce complexity and cost. Before we examine the future of The Cloud let’s use the always reliable Wikipedia to define Cloud Computing: “Cloud computing is internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand.” - Wikipedia.

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Why Wiki-leaks Happen (Technically Speaking)

Last month I used the Maginot Line analogy to illustrate how seemingly defensible security systems can be breached. That was before the latest Wiki-leaks incident. I have done security and disaster recovery related work at more than 50 DoD and Homeland Security sites. I get to see a lot of IT security systems.

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Outflanked by your own security system

The Maginot Line was a collection of walls, bunkers, tanks and artillery posts constructed by the French in the 1930’s and 40’s as a line of fortification against Germany and Italy. It prevented direct attacks, but was easily outflanked by the German’s in WWII when they invaded Belgium and then walked into France in less than two days. The Line has become a cliché for failed military planning and execution. The truth is messier. The Maginot Line did cause the German’s to concentrate their forces along the French-Belgium border and it did give the allies time to regroup and defend. Nevertheless, it is considered to be one of the colossal military and strategic blunders of all time. I have been in too many data centers in the last 12 to 18 months that remind me of The Maginot Line...

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