Despite the many benefits of cloud computing in enterprises, achieving these benefits depends on a number of factors, including the involvement of the board of directors.

ISACA, an independent association of over 100,000 governance, risk, security and assurance professionals worldwide, has issued new guidance on how best to maximise the cloud within business.

Through 'Cloud Governance: Questions Boards of Directors Need to Ask', ISACA says IT decision-makers must ensure their enterprise’s cloud initiative is in line with business objectives and the organisation’s risk tolerance.

“Board members need a clear understanding of cloud computing benefits and how to maximise them through effective governance practices,” says Marc Vael, an ISACA board member and chief IT audit executive, Smals.

"This requires the board to see cloud computing not as an IT project, but rather as a business strategy.”

Key questions:

1. Do management teams have a plan for cloud computing? Have they weighed the value and opportunity costs?

2. How do current cloud plans support the enterprise’s mission?

3. Have executive teams systematically evaluated organisational readiness? For example, are the right skills available? Do cloud processes conflict with other established processes? Do cloud plans conflict with enterprise culture?

4. Have management teams considered what existing investments might be lost in their cloud planning? Does the adoption of a cloud service nullify already-made technology investments that have not reached their planned end date, and is that noted and approved?

5. Do management teams have strategies for measuring and tracking the value of cloud return vs. risk?

“The answers to these questions will help determine the enterprise’s readiness to adopt cloud computing and also help ensure that the necessary governance is in place,” Vael says.

To read ISACA’s white paper click here

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