Enterprises that are looking to implement the benefits of cloud computing into their businesses want to be sure the forecast is clear of Internet security threats that could harm their network, drain IT resources, steal proprietary data and taint their corporate reputation.

A recent Trend Micro survey of nearly 200 IT decision-makers and CIOs who were non-Trend Micro customers found that nine in ten respondents (89 percent) look for in-the-cloud protection in an IT security solution. For some, cloud security isn’t even an option: Almost 40 percent of them would only consider security solutions that include in-the-cloud threat intelligence (Trend Micro™ Enterprise Security, for example, is powered by the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ cloud-client infrastructure).

Security, or lack thereof, can make or break a cloud computing choice. According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents said they are holding off on cloud computing solutions until they can be reasonably sure that there are no significant security risks to their networks as a result. A smaller group – 27 percent – said that security concerns might cause them to take a second look but the benefits of cloud computing outweigh security issues, and it won’t cause them to delay or cancel plans to implement a new cloud computing solution.

“For Trend Micro, ‘cloud computing’ is almost synonymous with ‘cloud security’ because you can’t have one without the other. The survey results demonstrate that many enterprises see the benefits, but have reservations about deploying sensitive applications into the cloud,” said Thomas Miller, general manager of the enterprise business unit, Trend Micro. “If corporations are going to rely on the Internet cloud to store data and conduct business, they would also want superior security designed for in-the-cloud protection. Trend Micro has pioneered a smarter approach to security, both for-the-cloud and in-the cloud through Trend Micro Enterprise Security.”

Trend Micro Enterprise Security is a tightly integrated offering of content security products, services and solutions powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network. Together, they deliver immediate protection from emerging threats while greatly reducing the cost and complexity of security management.