A nonprofit organization, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) promotes secure cloud computing best practices and how cloud technology provides security for non-cloud computing.

As an IDM professional, you may already be aware of the CSA, but you may be wondering if it is the right group for you. Whether it is the “Best” is subjective. However, it is fair to say that if you have anything to do with the cloud, membership is worth considering.

What Does the CSA Do?

The CSA is a leader in researching cloud security issues, publishing white papers, and providing reports, which help companies obtain the best cloud solutions. It also creates tools, such as assessment and auditing tools, to help design standards that cloud providers can use to address compliance, governance, and security issues.

The CSA offers a user credential that can give your clients, customers, and upper management the assurance that you understand the challenges in cloud security. For a fee, you can take an exam covering the benefits, risks, and best practices in cloud security, and on passing the exam, you receive CSA’s Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) – the only such certificate in the industry.

Membership is open to any individual or corporation that has an interest in advancing cloud computing security. Individuals may ask to join the Cloud Security Alliance group on LinkedIn. Businesses can partner with the CSA for a fee – more information can be found on the CSA membership page on their website.

Cloud Security Alliance Membership Benefits

Members have the opportunity to help improve cloud security by participating in studies, speaking at events, and providing peer reviews on CSA papers and documents. Other membership benefits include:

• Corporate members can conduct research in CSA Enterprise Working Groups.
• Corporate members have a say in CSA direction in the CSA Enterprise User Council.
• Networking with international security organizations through the CSA International Standardization Council.
• Display your company logo on the CSA Corporate Membership page.
• List business and contact information on the CSA Solutions Provider page.
• Display CSA logos on your company website.
• Receive one free pass to CSA Congress – a two-day conference covering everything related to cloud computing.
• Corporate members receive a premium listing in STAR – CSA’s Security, Trust, and Assurance Registry that is used by others to find the security policies of cloud providers they may wish to use.
• Free copy of CSA’s SaaS application STAR Watch – which will help companies manage STAR compliance.
• Ask an Expert – You have an annual opportunity to seek vendor-neutral advice from an expert to discuss issues or plan a cloud strategy.

The Bottom Line

The CSA is certainly an organization you, as an IDM professional, should look into for membership. You can provide a valuable resource for your participation. In return, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge you can use to go forward with the implementation of the cloud in your enterprise – and your customers and clients can feel confident in your abilities to help keep their data secure.

What are your thoughts about the Cloud Security Alliance? Let us know in the Comments box below.

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