Will adoption of cloud computing put the enterprise at risk?

Make no mistake, "cloud computing" is not the same as "networking". As a buzzword of the moment among computer scientists and technologists, cloud computing has become more and more pronounce in various media channels. The consumers are however worried about the safety of their data, their programs and their privacy in a cloud-oriented environment and are asking: will they lose control of their asset? Will using cloud computing put their enterprises at risk? Cloud computing may bring the potential for increased risk to organizations and therefore, each organization must choose a cloud service provider advisably. In this paper we try to expose potential sources of risk that an enterprise may face as it become a member of the “cloud initiative” world. This will enable them have a better understanding of the risk they are likely to encounter in a cloud-based environment and thus take precautionary measures. In addition, we make recommendations to be taken to minimize the risk to the barest minimum.