Dive Brief:

• Industry watchers are probing Google's claim that data stored in its cloud is safer than data kept on-premise.

• Experts warn companies should proceed with caution when moving to the cloud.

• When a company moves customer data to the cloud, it’s their responsibility to protect it.

Dive Insight:

Greg DeMichillie, director of product management for the Google Cloud Platform, drew angry reactions from some with his assertion during a recent conference that on-premise stored data isn’t as secure as most people think. Pointing to recent data breaches affecting Home Depot, Target, and several other companies, DeMichillie said customers are realizing data is more secure in the Google cloud because Google has more than 500 professional security researchers focused on finding and resolving issues in its systems.

But experts say DeMichillie’s assertion fails to take into account that users need to trust the cloud company to which they’re handing their data, and it’s not always clear where the data a user may choose to move to the cloud is actually being stored. In addition, a company the size of Google is likely to be a target for hackers, despite assurances about its security resources. This is especially important for CIOs to note because, according to a report by IT analyst house Forrester, when a company moves customer data to the cloud, it’s the company's responsibility to protect it, rather than the provider’s.