Note: this blog is a mirror of my HP Labs Blog, on the same topic, accessible at: http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Research-on-Security-and/bg-p/163

Friday, August 20, 2010

Applying Security/Identity Analytics to Cloud Computing

In previous posts of mine, I provided additional information about what the HP Labs Identity Analytics is and how it relates to the Security Analytics initiative. I then provided an overview of various IAM areas where to apply Identity and Security Analytics.

Related to this, an interesting area where Identity/Security Analytics can be applied is Cloud Computing.

Organisations (and their decision makers) need to make decisions about adopting cloud-based resources and services in their businesses. They need to explore relevant trade-offs, i.e. lower costs (and perhaps better efficiency) vs. potentially losing control on IT and exposing themselves to additional threats and risks.

In this context, IAM solutions and emerging related frameworks can provide some of the required controls (e.g. via trusted federation, cloud-based compliance and assurance management, etc.).

On the other hand, the IAM frameworks and solutions we know are too enterprise-biased/focused: IAM needs to go through a profound transformation to fully address the needs and requirements of managing identities, profiles and user access rights in cloud environments.

This without keeping into account that individuals - both as private people and employees - are themselves increasingly making decisions about adopting cloud computing solutions for personal and work related matters (consumerisation of the enterprise).

I discussed some of these concepts and dynamics in previous presentations, such as “The Future of Identity in the Cloud” and “The Future of the Information Society”

Security/Identity Analytics can help to explore these trade-offs, related investment options and threats.

Furthermore, Security/Identity Analytics can be used to explore “what-if” scenarios, based on different assumptions and risk mitigation capabilities introduced by different IAM frameworks and other related controls (based on different models and assumptions).

I indeed believe that there is a need for a more rigorous, scientific analysis of this space as well as a better understanding of the impact of various IAM approaches in the Cloud and their actual added values.

--- Posted by Marco Casassa Mont (here and here) ---

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--- NOTE: my original HP blog can be found here ---

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