WebTrust/SysTrust: As mentioned above, one kind of auditor’s report on service organizations is based on what the service provider states that they offer and not an assessment against best practice. It is also possible for a service organization to obtain an auditor’s report based on established criteria (e.g., Trust Services). Trust Services (including WebTrust and SysTrust) are a set of professional assurance and advisory services based on a common framework to address the risks and opportunities of IT. The Trust Services Principles and Criteria were established by the AICPA for use when providing attestation services on systems in the areas of:

• Security
• Availability
• Processing integrity
• Privacy
• Confidentiality.

For each of these areas, these principles provide criteria and illustrative controls. An example of a cloud provider that offers such a report is SalesForce.com.

ISO/IEC 27001 certification: ISO/IEC 27001 sets out standards that require management to examine the information security risks associated with a specific part of the organization’s assets. (Note: Certification is limited to the specified area within the organization). The objectives of this process are to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. The process must consider the vulnerabilities, threats and their potential impact, and plan a response to the identified risks. This response may be to avoid the risk, to transfer the risk or to implement a set of controls to manage the risks. The standard identifies 134 controls and provides detailed advice on this subject These controls cover the following areas:

• Organization and Information Security
• Asset Management
• Human Resources Security
• Physical and Environmental Security
• Communications and Operations Management
• Access Control
• Information Systems Acquisition, Maintenance and Control
• Information Security Incident Management
• Business Continuity Management.

A complete list of organizations certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2005 is available. An example of cloud a provider offering ISO27001 certification is Microsoft.


Conclusion

Trust in the cloud depends upon an enterprise’s needs, the provider’s processes and independent auditing. Choose the right cloud service and delivery model based on business need and risk appetite. It is vital to understand the value and sensitivity of data moved to the cloud. Make sure that the service is clearly specified together with the controls. Remember to monitor the controls and understand what independent certifications and audit reports mean. Finally, “Trust but verify.”