How do you identify and mitigate IT Operations Management risks related to cloud computing?

1 Define your risk appetite and objectives

Before you adopt or migrate to cloud computing, you need to define your risk appetite and objectives for ITOM. Risk appetite is the level of risk you are willing to accept in pursuit of your goals, while objectives are the specific outcomes you want to achieve. By defining these, you can align your cloud strategy with your business needs and expectations, and prioritize the most critical and valuable IT services and systems. You can also use them as a baseline to measure and monitor your ITOM performance and risk exposure.

2 Assess your cloud environment and providers

Once you have defined your risk appetite and objectives, you need to assess your cloud environment and providers. This means evaluating the technical, operational, and contractual aspects of your cloud services and systems, such as availability, performance, security, compliance, scalability, and support. You also need to review the service level agreements (SLAs) and terms and conditions of your cloud providers, and understand their roles and responsibilities for ITOM. You can use frameworks and standards such as ISO/IEC 27017, NIST SP 800-53, and CSA CCM to guide your assessment.

3 Implement risk controls and mitigation plans

After you have assessed your cloud environment and providers, you need to implement risk controls and mitigation plans. Risk controls are the actions and measures you take to prevent or reduce the likelihood or impact of ITOM risks, while mitigation plans are the steps and resources you prepare to respond and recover from ITOM incidents. You can use tools and methods such as risk matrices, risk registers, risk dashboards, and risk heat maps to identify, analyze, prioritize, and track your ITOM risks and controls. You can also use tools and methods such as incident management systems, backup and recovery solutions, and disaster recovery plans to manage your ITOM incidents and mitigate their effects.

4 Monitor and review your ITOM risks and performance

Finally, you need to monitor and review your ITOM risks and performance. This means collecting and analyzing data and feedback on your cloud services and systems, such as availability, performance, security, compliance, scalability, and support. You also need to monitor and review your cloud providers' SLAs and terms and conditions, and ensure they are meeting your expectations and obligations. You can use tools and methods such as metrics, indicators, reports, audits, and surveys to measure and evaluate your ITOM risks and performance. You can also use tools and methods such as reviews, lessons learned, and improvement plans to identify and implement opportunities for ITOM enhancement.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?