The cloud’s here to stay — and so are threats

There are real threats to data and information, a Microsoft executive said Wednesday, but sound plans create excellent security.

The question is, Kunle Awosika, general manager of Microsoft East Africa, asked, are we safe? Do we know if we’re safe?

Awosika, who spoke Wednesday at the Africa Cloud Summit, focused on security in a time when he said “your CEOs are saying, how can we move to digital?”

That need, and the reality that we live in a mobile and cloud-based world, raises more questions about security, Awosika said.

He wondered if CIOs know who is accessing data, if they can guarantee that the appropriate access controls are in place, if data is protected.

There’s real value in that data, both to companies that ensure it’s structured and used effectively, and to criminals, Awoskia added.

“Data is the new oil,” he said.

And cybersecurity is the “number-one priority,” he added.

It’s that simple, Awoskia said, because, “The truth of the matter is that the cloud is here to stay.”

Recounting hacks that have affected companies and governments across the continent and around the world, Awoskia said cloud security comes down to three facets: protect, detect, respond.

The Africa Cloud Summit, held at Nairobi’s Radisson Blu, runs through 16 March. For more information, visit http://www.africacloudsummit.com