Personnel Take Active Role in the Cloud Security Alliance

November 20 2011

The idea of Cloud Computing has started to dominate the technology market, providing consumers with an innovative method to store, manage and process data remotely. With the abundance of malicious attacks occurring in the cyber environment today, there are still concerns regarding the security of the Cloud. Organizations, such as Secure Mission Solutions are working to develop standards and guidance that will provide Cloud security assurance.

ORLANDO, Fla. (November 20, 2011) – Chief Technology Officer, John Hearton, and Chief Engineer, Tim Owen, represented Secure Mission Solutions as members of the Security as a Service (SECaaS) working group for the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) at the organization’s annual Cloud Security Congress held in Orlando, Fla. on Nov. 15 – 18.

This year marks the second year of the annual event which exists to disseminate new guidance, lessons learned, and expertise to the community on Cloud security.  It also serves to afford in-person breakout sessions for CSA working groups pursuing various agendas. 

“Secure Mission Solutions became involved in the CSA because there is a need for an effective migration for our customers into the Cloud.  We have positioned ourselves as industry leaders on Cloud security by assisting in standards development that are being adopted worldwide and providing guidance for the Cloud industry,” said Hearton.

Hearton and Owen met in their SECaaS breakout session on Nov. 14 to discuss the latest on standardization, business case development, and other areas.  The SECaaS working group’s accomplishments include the release of “Domain 14 guidance” and submission of this guidance to the World Standards Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. 

As Cloud Computing has evolved to becoming a household term, many concerns have arisen on the security of the Cloud especially by Government officials and their security providers.  Seeing the need for security and a relative set of industry standards, the CSA was organized to promote the best practices in Cloud Computing. 

Following the trend of Cloud Computing for the past several years, Hearton and Owen became involved with the CSA, providing their security expertise and knowledge. Hearton has since been appointed as a sub-committee chair for the organization.

Hearton and Owen’s efforts with CSA have helped shape adopted standards, define innovative efforts and distinguish Secure Mission Solutions as a leading technological differentiator for Government and industry alike. Prior to the involvement of Secure Mission Solutions, the CSA was focused on the three building blocks of the Cloud to include Infrastructure as a Service, Software as a Service and Platform as a Service. Hearton and Owen’s efforts, leadership and support have enabled SECaaS to be a dominant player within the Cloud construct.

The CSA is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing as well as to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing.  It is led by a broad coalition of industry practitioners, corporations, associations and other key stakeholders.

Secure Mission Solutions is an integrated security services and solutions provider focused on enabling mission success.  Headquartered in Reston, Va., Secure Mission Solutions has offices in Charleston, S.C.; Chesapeake, Va.; Fairfax, Va.; Huntsville, Ala.; Lorton, Va.; and Omaha, Neb.

Contact
Kelly Russ, Business Development
843.308.4509