IT contractors will find that firms are reluctant to adopt cloud computing, as it gives them less control over data while retaining accountability for it, an information security company has claimed.

Speaking to the Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar on cloud computing, Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro, said 75 per cent of firms thought security was the major barrier to them adopting cloud computing.

Executives have a problem with cloud computing because they lose control over the stored data, but retain accountability for its use, Mr Ferguson claimed.

"When we consume cloud services, we outsource a substantial amount of control but we don't outsource any accountability. That's the reason why it becomes a barrier to executives who adopt those services," said Mr Ferguson.

According to the non-profit Information Systems Audit and Control Association, 25 per cent of the firms currently using cloud computing believe the risks to their data outweigh the benefits, but are prepared to carry on regardless.