McAfee has announced the launch of an innovative program for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers to add additional security to their cloud deployments.

The new Cloud Secure program combines cloud security certification services, provided by leading certification and attestation providers, with automated auditing, remediation and reporting capabilities provided by McAfee, the security technology company said in a statement. 

Amazon Web Services (AWS), a pioneer in cloud computing and SuccessFactors, a leading SaaS provider are expected be amongst the first providers to leverage the new program.

According to IDC, 87.5 per cent of users surveyed cited “security concerns” as the primary issue for adopting Cloud-based services.

By adding certification and automation, McAfee is providing an easy and efficient way for SaaS customers to gain added confidence in their cloud deployments, said a senior official. 

“SaaS vendors have a difficult time convincing prospects that their services are secure and safe. However, McAfee’s security products and hosted services expertise are well positioned to help SaaS vendors with security problems and customer doubts,” said Christian Christiansen, vice president of security products and services for IDC.

“Through certification and automation, McAfee can enable SaaS growth by pro-actively addressing customer concerns,” he added.

McAfee plans to build on the program by leveraging its comprehensive SaaS portfolio of Cloud-based security services along with its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence network, helping make the broader cloud-computing ecosystem more safe and secure.

“McAfee Cloud Secure is our first step toward proactive and comprehensive security certifications and tools for the cloud,” said Marc Olesen, senior vice president and general manager, McAfee SaaS.

“McAfee is uniquely positioned to address security for the cloud given our technology, reputation and Cloud expertise. With the new program, we are adding peace of mind for those with cloud deployments, helping end users more easily evaluate and select a safe and secure vendor,” he added.

Tom Fisher, vice president of Cloud Computing, SuccessFactors, said the company's datacenters house critical business execution information for over 3000 customers and more than 6 million users, making security central to operational success.

“Being a best-in-class cloud company means partnering with best-in-class security. By joining McAfee’s Cloud Secure Program, we're continuing to deliver the most advanced, innovative security on the market in every deployment we do,” Fisher added.-TradeArabia News Service