The words “cloud security” are an oxymoron to some IT managers these days. So, to some, are the words “government security,” for that matter. Which is why a panel at the annual Black Hat US conference in Las Vegas was delightfully informative – or mischievous.
The topic: Who do you trust less with your data — Washington or Google? This report of the debate notes that we’re in an era of advanced persistant threats (APTs), which doesn’t make anyone feel safer. In theory, with their history of protecting tax and social insurance numbers, government should win here. But note that last year there was a breach in the Canadian federal employee payment system. And let’s not forget the Elections Ontario fiasco.
On the other hand there’s Sony, TJ Maxx and a whole lot of other private sector companies who should hang their heads in shame. No one’s a winner here.