Microsoft seeks ISO security certification for its cloud services

From InfoWorld: Microsoft Corp. wants to get its suite of hosted messaging and collaboration products certified to the ISO 27001 international information security standard, part of an effort to try and assure customers about the security of its cloud computing services. It comes amid broad and continuing doubts about the ability of cloud vendors in general to properly secure their services.

Google, which has made no secret of its ambitions in the cloud computing arena, is currently working on getting its services certified to the government's Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) standards for much the same reason.

It's unclear how much value customers of either company will attach to the certifications, particularly because they were not designed specifically to audit cloud computing environments. Even so, the external validation offered by the standards is likely to put both companies in a better position to sell to the U.S. government market.

Speaking with Computerworld this week, Bill Billings, chief security officer of Microsoft Federal, said the company is currently in the process of taking its Business Productivity Online Suite through the ISO 27011 certification process. The hosted service includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting and Office Communications Online. He declined to say just when Microsoft hopes to achieve the certification.

View: Article @ Source Site