Cloud Security, Network Security

Survey: Federal agencies slow to migrate to cloud, despite promise of security

Although a cloud-based architecture would offer cybersecurity benefits to federal agencies whose systems are in need of digital defense, many government entities are not yet ready to make the migration, based on the results of a new survey.

Conducted by Alexandria, Va.-based MeriTalk, a public-private partnership whose mission is to improve the outcomes of government IT, the survey polled 150 federal IT managers about their current and future plans to operate via the cloud, as well as modernize their legacy networks to pave the way for such a migration.

According to the results, 57 percent of respondents said that network modernization and cloud adoption would improve their organizations' data services and help them meet cybersecurity requirements.

And yet, only 22 percent said their current network infrastructure is ready for cloud migration, compared to 67 percent who say their networks are "struggling to keep pace with thechanging demands of cloud and hybrid technologies." Moreover, 51 percent said their agencies were "failing to prioritize the networking aspect of cloud adoption andoverall IT modernization."

By contrast, those who said their agencies are prioritizing network modernization are "significantly more likely" to report improved overall security than those who are not, the study reports, and also much less likely to say that their networks are hindering the cloud migration process.

Bradley Barth

As director of multimedia content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for online conferences, webcasts, podcasts video/multimedia projects — often serving as moderator or host. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

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