The 5 Most Secure Enterprise Cloud Apps

Analysis Ranks Enterprise Ready Cloud Apps

Cloud-based enterprise resource planning, document management and security apps ranked highly in a new study of cloud security conducted by apps analytics and security policy startup Netskope. The company's new cloud report which analyzed more than 2,700 cloud apps, found the top providers had the best controls in place for identity and access control, file sharing, data classification and encryption. Auditing and alerting capabilities are also very strong, giving them high schools, Netskope said. The worst performers were typically software development, marketing and productivity apps. Categories that have a high number of fledgling providers, the company said. Here are the five top performers that introduce the least risk to the enterprise.

5. Easy Vista

Asset and service management cloud provider Easy Vista came in at No. 5 on Netskope's list of enterprise-ready apps. The company's platform monitors its customers' application layers, network performance, overall storage capacity and integration points to provide pre-emptive support to detect and contain issues before they become a serious problem. The cloud service holds relevant security certifications and touts aggressive SLAs for 24x7 availability and platform support. Netskope recommends organizations assess whether a cloud service taps into mission critical data.

4. Amazon Web Services

Audit logging and granular role-based policies helped boost Amazon Web Services into Netskope's top 5 most secure enterprise apps list. AWS sessions are secured using SSL encryption and it supports multi-factor authentication. AWS also offers a virtual private cloud to support additional network security controls and VPN tunneling support. Amazon excels where other cloud apps fall short, according to Netskope. Only 24 percent of apps analyzed by the firm support encryption at rest and key management and less than half support strong controls over access permissions.

3. Crashplan

Cloud-based backup service Crashplan came in the No. 3 spot behind Box. The firm is also a mature organization having been founded in 2001.The company said it encrypts data at the source keeping it secure throughout transit and storage. Enterprises can choose between storing data privately or in a public cloud, depending on risk tolerance. The company said its public cloud offering is extremely secure because it first encrypts data on the device and then scrambles the transmission using AES 128-bit encryption before being stored in its public cloud.

2. Box

File sharing and cloud storage provider Box took the number 2 position behind Salesforce.com for its controls and procedures and its commitment to providing strong security for enterprises. Box has been quickly ramping up its security staff under the guidance of two new security executives from Yahoo and Symantec. The company supports third-party data loss prevention vendors for encryption and compliance and can work with Samsung's KNOX mobile device management platform to address Android device security. Box is also focusing on availability as a top issue for its customers, to keep downtime to a minimum.

1. Salesforce.com

Industry customer resource planning stalwart Salesforce.com was top ranked in Netskope's study. Salesforce.com is one of the longest running cloud-based apps having been founded in 1999. The company puts control in the hands of administrators for assigning data security rules on access control and all data in motion is encrypted via SSL encryption. The company receives relevant third-party security certifications, including ISO 27001 and SAS70 Type II, two industry standards that serve as an attestation to cloud provider controls.