Elizabeth Weise

USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO – Companies are throwing sensitive data into the cloud as fast as they can get it there, to save money and be more nimble. But safety is a concern. An IBM survey out Wednesday finds that 44% of corporate security leaders are convinced a major security breach is bound to happen.

"We asked them 'What's the number one, big security issue that's going to happen?' and that's what they honed in on," said IBM's Marc van Zadelhoff, vice president of strategy and product management for IBM Security System.

Cloud computing is big and getting bigger.

"Just about every large company we deal with has moved something into the cloud, with plans to move more," said Jon Oltsik, an analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group in Mitford, Mass.

Still, many Americas are still a little … cloudy… on just what it is. A survey by IT company Citrix found that 51% of Americans thought stormy weather could interfere with cloud computing.

At its root, cloud computing simply means using a network of remote computers instead of local ones to store, manage and process data.

Rather than having a room full of racks of computer servers that hold a company's data, the company instead rents space on someone else's servers. Those servers can be hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

The company accesses its data not over wires running from its own server room, but over the Internet.

Cloud computing can be cheaper and faster because when a company needs to expand, it doesn't have buy more equipment, get it installed and hire more IT staff to operate it.

"You can just swipe your credit card and get online and start being productive," said Oltsik.

As the data moves away from direct oversight, security is a serious concern. A recent Ponemon Institute report found that 66% of respondents said their organization's use of cloud resources diminishes their ability to protect confidential or sensitive information.

IBM released details of the survey as it announced its new cloud security platform, called IBM Dynamic Cloud Security Portfolio.

The service, aimed at larger companies, provides a portfolio of tools that authenticate access to a company's system, control data and improve the visibility of what's going on in the network.

The new IBM security practice is designed "specifically to manage today's new cloud-based workloads, from the cloud," van Zadelhoff said.

IBM is the third largest computer security company in the world after Symantec and Cisco Systems, according to analysis firm IDC in Framingham, Mass.

That makes it a natural to move into securing the cloud for its customers.

"IBM has a very strong security portfolio," said Olsik. "They can pitch peace of mind."