Locking-Up ‘The Cloud’— A Short Article on Cloud and Cloud Security

Where is the Cloud? Is there security in The Cloud?? These are two of the questions for which SSR has been trying to find answers. As Technologists who are also Executive Recruiters, we try not only to place people at the best companies, but also evaluate newer and emerging technologies. Cloud has been the "buzz” for quite some time. Simply put, Cloud Computing is off-loading your physical computing resources to a service provider which reduces your cost exposure to fees for only the time and capacity you utilize. In other words, a totally elastic method of billing, so you only pay for what you use over the period that actually you use it.


In order to take full advantage of the cost benefits, organizations must have applications and data infrastructure that have been architected for Cloud environments. For the enterprise, virtualization and service oriented architecture (SOA) are the first steps. But for many Independent Software Vendors (ISV's) who are grappling with how to manage their clients as-well-as security of their client's information in The Cloud, a true SaaS delivery model becomes essential. We’ve been working with industry luminaries to find solutions to these questions, and have some initial comments.

For the ISV, as the migration to the Cloud and SaaS is initialized, it is essential find a partner that can take the existing applications and "re-architect" them to be "SaaS Compatible" in a cost effective, secure and safe manner. Be certain to insure that the firm you hire is not connected to a dedicated hosting provider, or you may be stuck with an application that is either bound to proprietary technology or can’t be moved or both. ISV's will want the option to host their application anywhere, and if a SaaS is truly the goal, multi tenancy offers the lowest total cost of delivery and many security advantages.

As Cloud Security becomes a greater concern, it’s extremely important to conduct a full security audit on your implementation, once the applications are running in the Cloud environment. This should be done at least twice a year, but ideally, once a quarter. Cyber-threats are becoming commonplace and Cloud Providers, including Force.com and Amazon Web Services have already been hit. While there are no standards for Cloud Security, there are many recommendations. We believe in the next six months, some specific standards for Cloud Security will be adopted. SSR sees this space as "hot" to watch in 2010.

Interviewing is a Mindset

One of the biggest frustrations we hear about is simply getting through an interview.  How do you get past the stress of the job search and master the face-to-face interview? Here are some easy tips:

1).  Treat the interview as you would a sales call. Pretend the Interviewer is a possible client.  How would you approach the meeting now?  Try to {politely}, take control of the interview.  Ask how much time you have, and what the interviewer has set-up for their agenda. Ask if you may give them your agenda so both of you will have time to ask questions and to show you are well prepared for the interview.

2).  Think of the interviewer as a client that just had five other vendors in for a sales call.  What would you ask them now? What do you have to sell them?  How would you sell yourself?

3).  Ask them the questions, "So, what did you like about the other candidates you've interviewed so far?" "What are some things you didn't like about some of the candidates?" "What were they missing?" These questions give you the best in-sight on what the interviewer is looking for and will help you mold yourself to their, 'Hot Buttons'.

4). Always stay on the offensive and not the defensive while in an interview.  Don't just sit there while you're being barraged with questions.  Have many of your questions prepared and ask them throughout the interview.  Many of our clients tell us what they hate most is when they interview someone and the candidate doesn’t have any questions!  It shows you either weren't prepared for the interview or don't care enough to ask anything.

5).  Ask the question, " So, what did you like about my resume/phone interview to bring me in?"  "Why am I here?"  This gives you even more insight as to what they liked about you to bring you in.  Focus on those positive traits and mold the interview to your best strengths.

6).  PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO CLOSE THE PERSON INTERVIEWING YOU!  I hear this all day long from clients after they interviewed candidates.  They are very surprised how many people forget to go for the close at the end of the interview and clients have not hired many people simply because they forgot to close them and ask for the job.  Even the best sales people sometime forget to close.  Be VERY direct and say something like this; " I like what I hear so far and I'm very impressed with your company and the position.  I definitely want the job or I wouldn't be here. Can you tell me the next steps and what I need to do to get the job?"

7).  After the interview, PLEASE remember to send a 'Thank You' message within one day following the interview.  Make sure you close the interviewer in the message and ask for a follow-up in a few days.  If you're working with a recruiter, debrief them on the interview and ask for follow-up tips to close the deal.

The critical thing about any interview is to take and retain control of the interview.  Remember, your time is just as important, and many people forget this when they go into an interview. Keep a positive attitude and you will win that next job!

Ellia Kassoff is President and CEO of one of top Executive Recruiting firms in the country, Strategic Software Resources, Inc., specializing in high technology.  His 14 years of insight and technology experience have garnered him one of the top spots in technology; as an industry analyst, recruiter and advisor.  Ellia has advised more than 400 companies on product pricing, positioning, employment development and hiring.  He has also given many seminars on hiring the right people and how to find that next job.  His insights on the recruiting process have been used by thousands of people around the world by both candidates and clients.