Managing risks when using the cloud

THE balance that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keep between spending on innovation to stay competitive and investing in needed IT infrastructure seems to have become much easier with the advent of cloud-based services.

The "only when I need it"-based access to technology means less overheads to shoulder, far fewer specialised IT skills on staff, near-zero maintenance requirements and a constant supply of the most up-to-date versions, and these have revolutionised how business is done.

Yet, there is a significant dark spot that threatens to turn the "cloud" stormy - how to deal with privileged account security of your cloud providers.