There has been a lot of buzz recently about the decision for the FTC to investigate cloud computing.

The FTC reports that the purpose of their investigation is to protect consumers’ privacy and data.  While privacy and data security are valid concerns with cloud computing, people and business have been utilizing online systems for data storage for years.  Privacy and data security should be nothing new to the IT field.

However, cloud computing is often used as a means to lower capital costs in businesses and speed deployment of applications and products.  New cloud offerings are springing up daily, and there is little precedent to follow when it comes to security.

There are many different areas of cloud computing – meant for various applications.  Cloud computing benefits can be huge, but it is not a one size fits all solution to computing.  Consumers of these technologies need to make sure they are educated  as to the benefits and risks of cloud computing.