Dependency on cloud services in organisations is on the increase

The use of cloud services in organisations critical to security of supply is common and increasing, reveals a survey carried out by the National Emergency Supply Organisation’s Digital Pool. Many organisations are aware of the risks associated with cloud services, but there is also still room for improvement when it comes to preparedness.

Responses to the survey, which was carried out in April 2024, were received from 136 organisations critical to security of supply operating in 14 different industries.

The use of cloud services appears to be quite common in organisations critical to security of supply: 60% of the survey respondents reported that over half of their software portfolio is cloud-based, and the majority of respondents planned to increase the use of cloud services in the near future.

Organisations are also using cloud services for critical functions, but attitudes towards this are more cautious than towards using cloud services for less critical functions. Only 40% of respondents reported that more than half of their critical functions were cloud-based, with some having completely excluded their critical functions from cloud services.

Information needed to support preparedness

The perceived benefits of cloud services include ease of use, flexibility, cost-effectiveness and information security. From the perspective of security of supply and continuity management, there are also risks associated with cloud services that should be taken into account in their deployment. Many organisations are already following some information security standards, with larger organisations, in particular, steering the use of cloud services based on a separate cloud strategy or as part of the organisation’s digital strategy.

Approximately half of the survey respondents reported considering security of supply to be an important factor when making decisions about the use of cloud services. Other factors influencing these decisions were ease of use, costs, the overall architecture and the organisation’s know-how.

The report provides the Digital Pool and the National Emergency Supply Agency with information to support the planning of further measures. In addition to this, the report raises awareness of the potential impacts of cloud services on security of supply and the factors affecting these impacts. The Digital Pool has a Cloud Services Division that promotes the security of supply of cloud services and provides businesses with information on issues related to their use.

Read the full report on the use of cloud services