Canadian business executives report not doing enough to protect data, security concern over migrating to the cloud persists: Microsoft Canada

Skepticism over security when migrating to the cloud was voiced by almost six in 10 Canadian senior-level business leaders taking part in a Microsoft Canada Inc. survey.

In all, 58% of the 711 respondents from the private and public sectors who took part in the survey about digital transformation listed security as a top concern when migrating to the cloud, notes a statement last week from Microsoft Canada.

That concern was followed by privacy, cited by 47% of respondents to the survey, conducted by Northstar on behalf of Microsoft.

The finding, however, has not dampened movement when it comes to the cloud. Of the respondents, 71% report that implementing a digital strategy is one of their top five business objectives in 2017. In addition, 68% of those polled say their businesses are already harnessing the power of the cloud and 81% say cloud solutions will play an important role in executing their digital strategy.

Related: Worldwide public cloud services market to grow 17% to US$208.6 billion in 2016: Gartner

Despite those views, the survey “reveals concerns and confusion around security and preparedness when it comes to managing data,” Microsoft Canada reports.

Just 21% of polled executives report that they feel they are “fully prepared” in the case of a data hack or leak.

Other notable survey findings include the following:

• local data residency is important for businesses, with 85% of respondents reporting they want their data to remain in Canada;
• 89% of polled business leaders say it is important for their cloud service provider’s solutions to integrate with their existing IT investments; and
• 90% of surveyed business executives indicating it is important for cloud providers to actively target cyber criminals and work with governments to maintain top cybersecurity standards.

“The survey confirmed that business leaders need to feel confident that their data is secure and is being stored here in Canada,” Janet Kennedy, president of Microsoft Canada, says in the statement.

“This is especially important for businesses with stringent compliance standards, such as government and healthcare organizations,” Kennedy adds.

Related: One in five risk managers surveyed not sure whether their cyber insurance policy covers data in cloud servers: RIMS