30 April 2011, Muscat: Cloud computing is the new buzzword and is a hot topic of discussion among IT professionals worldwide. Ernst & Young, the global professional services organisation, recently organised a seminar with the aim of highlighting the benefits and security challenges of cloud computing. The event was attended by over 30 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and IT managers of top organisations in Oman.
Mr Mohamed Nayaz, Director of IT Risk & Assurance Services, and Girish K.G., Information Security Specialist, Ernst & Young provided an introduction to cloud computing and the benefits and security challenges. Mr Badar Al Salehi, Head of Oman CERT, presented an overview on Oman Cyber Security. Mr Rahul Bhavsar from Gulf IT offered a vendor's perspective of Cloud Computing and Mr J C Shekar from Khimji Ramdas provided a perspective of the end user.
Cloud computing refers to the provision of computational resources on demand via a computer network. In the traditional model of computing, both data and software are fully contained on the user's computer; in cloud computing, the user's computer may contain almost no software or data (perhaps a minimal operating system and web browser only), serving as little more than a display terminal for processes occurring on a network of computers far away. A common shorthand for a provider's cloud computing service (or even an aggregation of all existing cloud services) is 'The Cloud'.
"Whether or not this concept is new is still debatable, but it is widely agreed that cloud computing offers innovation, flexibility, cost savings and is yet to be tapped to its full potential. However, before joining the bandwagon, it is best to understand the concept and the pros and cons - which is precisely what we are trying to achieve by initiating this discussion," said Mohamed Nayaz.
This event organised by Ernst & Young is a part of the Chief Information Security Officers Seminar conducted on a quarterly basis along with Oman CERT. Topics are selected based on the current information security trends and practices applicable to Oman. The objective of this programme is to develop a platform in which representatives from various organisations share their experience in the field of information security.
-Ends-
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services with a workforce of 141,000 worldwide in 140 countries. The organisation opened its first office in Muscat in 1974 and is currently located in Ernst & Young building in Qurum. With a strong trainee programme for Omani nationals, it is the largest professional service company in Muscat with over 160 trained professionals offering proactive, innovative and quality services to varied industries.
© Press Release 2011
