When Protecting the Cloud, Start by Building Walls

NEWS ANALYSIS: Some argue that you can't build a wall around data to protect it, but lessons learned from the past can illuminate a secure path to the future.

TOKYO—Time and again, organizations cite security as the biggest barrier to cloud adoption. At the #OpenStack Summit that concluded Oct. 30 here, I had a lot of time to think about all aspects of the cloud and especially security, even while sightseeing at the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Security isn't just something I write about—it's a passion and it's also a lifestyle. I've heard more than one vendor say that in the modern IT world, it's not possible to build a castle wall around applications. It's a euphemism that I too had believed and often restated. But no longer.

When not at the OpenStack Summit, I had the (very) brief opportunity to play tourist and spent one day walking around the perimeter of the Tokyo Imperial Palace, home to the Emperor of Japan. The palace was built in the feudal era of Japan, complete with a moat, castle walls and reinforced large gates.

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