In the modern business world, the cloud is an important resource for companies looking to easily store and share information. However, with the proliferation of mobile cloud services and other cloud-based systems, it is important that businesses and their employees take the proper steps to protect their data. As a result, many companies and organizations are hiring cloud broker services to perform cloud security assessments to ensure that their workers are using this resource correctly. Unfortunately, many broker services and their clients are saying that their employees are falling short.

Take Comcast Corporation, for example: when the company’s head of infrastructure and information security, Myrna Soto, used a broker service to check the organization’s cloud security, she says she expected to find employees using hundreds of cloud computing services. To her surprise, Comcast workers were using thousands of different services for a variety of well-intentioned reasons, such as easy communication and coordination. However, this choice could have had severe repercussions: for example, some cloud services give the ownership of the data to the service provider instead of the author. Fortunately, broker services detected the problem before any consequences took effect.

Because of cases like this, cloud broker services have become extremely popular in recent years. In recent years, these companies, which work with companies and cloud providers to facilitate optimal technical situations, have grown into an industry worth about $100 million. Moreover, experts predict this market will grow to about $500 million over the next three years. This prediction seems accurate, as many cloud broker companies are now increasing their services to meet demand: typically, security broker services have access to all traffic between the endpoint and cloud services. This allows them to redirect the traffic and take inventory of all the services employees use and check the safety of the data. Now, security brokers can also apply techniques like encryption and tokenization to further secure the data. In a recent example, a broker service discovered that employees at Crisco Systems Inc were using 607 cloud services, half of which were unapproved. The broker then investigated several hundred other services, helped the company form a relationship with a safe provider and redirected employees towards the secure service. Similarly, Comcast is considering expanding its use of broker services to encrypt its information. Should your business follow suit? Contact a cloud storage broker today to find out.