Lockheed joins cloud security organization

Lockheed Martin Corp. has joined the Cloud Security Alliance and claims it is the first systems integrator to join the organization dedicated to promoting the use of best practices for securing the cloud.

Joining the organization sends a “message to the marketplace about the significance of cloud computing to both the government and industry,” said Jim Reavis, co-founder and executive director of the alliance.

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Lockheed Martin will work with other alliance members on security concerns and trust issues, the group said in a statement.

“Lockheed Martin is working with a variety of customers in [the] government, energy and health IT markets who are seeking the benefits associated with cloud computing yet often come to us for guidance about how best to deliver cloud services on their enterprise, including which service providers, technologies and applications to integrate,” said Rick Johnson, chief technology officer and vice president of Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions.

Lockheed Martin formed the Cyber Security Alliance in 2009 and recently surveyed public-sector attitudes about cloud computing and cybersecurity topics. Among its findings, the survey revealed that 70 percent of government technology decision-makers in federal, defense/military and intelligence agencies were most concerned about data security, privacy and integrity in the cloud.

Lockheed Martin is ranked No. 1 on Washington Technology's 2010 Top 100 list of the largest government contractors.