Singapore – Around 87% of digital native businesses rank security as a top concern over cost and scalability when choosing cloud providers, according to the latest study from cloud solutions firm Akamai.
According to the report, the said figure represents DNB’s insights stating security features outweigh performance, reputation, scalability, and cost during cloud provider selection. This stems from DNBs needing support from their technology partners to identify potential weak points that can be exploited by cyber adversaries.
DNBs in Asia, particularly, shared that addressing security implications remains a persistent challenge throughout their cloud journey, despite them being quick to embrace cloud technologies.
To note, about 75% of them view security as the biggest gap in cloud infrastructure performance and capabilities. This figure is ranked higher than other issues like network latency, data storage, data retrieval, and compute resources.
About 44% of respondents further indicated IT infrastructure complexity as the biggest challenge in addressing the security gap.
Meanwhile, nearly 90% of the respondents reported to prioritise efficiency and productivity for the next 12 months, with plans to invest in technologies like cloud computing and API-enabled microservices.
A significant 74% of DNBs have also either fully migrated to the cloud or are adopting cloud technologies. This implication revealed that DNBs can scale and improve time to market through the infrastructure built around microservices that operate independently and communicate through APIs.
Interestingly, a shift in perspective also occurs among the respondents from Australia and New Zealand, with cloud technology being viewed as a disruptive force in becoming an essential business component. In fact, approximately 97% either adopt cloud solutions or explore cloud adoption.
The report further observed that DNBs in India are focused on growth and innovation, noting a significant 98% rate in terms of AI integration within cloud infrastructure.
Almost all DNBs in India are also either already using cloud solutions or are exploring cloud adoption. This move emphasises the nation’s commitment towards pursuing sustainable growth through security, cost optimisation, and thorough vendor evaluation.
Jay Jenkins, chief technology officer at Akamai cloud computing, said, “Cutting-edge tech is at the core of DNA for digital native businesses — but this is both an opportunity and a challenge. Accelerated tech adoption is the potential Achilles’ heel for DNBs, with IT complexity ramping up to expose critical cyber risks that threaten cloud implementations and potentially business performance.”
He further noted, “For DNBs who are ‘born in the cloud’ to leverage their full potential, these businesses must find ways to maximise cloud performance and embrace a multicloud approach to avoid vendor lock-in, enhance flexibility, and maximise cloud service usage and costs.”
“APIs are the connective tissue in modern cloud-native infrastructures. To ensure agile, flexible, and secure operations, a modern security framework must provide advanced API security measures, regular API security audits, and high visibility into API activity,” added Jenkins.
