Aliyun first to achieve CSA STAR Gold Certification

27 January  2014

BSI, the business standards company, announced that Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. (Aliyun) achieved the world’s first gold award for the CSA STAR Certification

The CSA STAR Certification, developed in conjunction with BSI, is based upon achieving ISO/IEC 27001 and the specified set of criteria outlined in the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM). There are 11 controls areas within this matrix covering 5 capability factors, including Communication and stakeholder engagement, Policies, plans and procedures and a systematic approach, Skills and expertise, Ownership, leadership and management, Monitoring and measuring. A performance score is given to each capability factor for every control area to indicate the maturity of the system. There is clear criteria for each individual score that will contribute to an overall Gold, Silver or Bronze rating.

Aliyun is the first to achieve the gold award worldwide, demonstrating the rapid development of cloud computing in china. In the field of Internet technology, China falls behind developed countries like the USA due to its late entry to this market. However, Chinese enterprises have grasped the opportunity to be at the forefront of cloud computing.

After independent assessment conducted by BSI, Aliyun was presented with the CSA STAR Certification gold award. Jiang Peng (Sanfeng), Senior Vice President & Vice Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba, said: ”The gold award boosted customer confidence and intention to use cloud computing service, thus realizing rapid development and business innovation based on the power of Cloud.”

As the largest cloud computing service provider in China, Aliyun gained the honor, symbolizing that it acquired the recognition of international authorities in the field of cloud security management and technology ability. It is the first world-level leading achievement made by a Chinese enterprise in the security compliance of information and cloud computing field.

“We are thrilled that Aliyun has achieved the first CSA STAR Gold certification worldwide and met its rigorous security requirements", said Jim Reavis, Chief Executive Officer,  Cloud Security Alliance. "This certification proves the technological leadership of Aliyun in securing cloud computing. I am very proud and pleased to see the increasing adoption of CSA security best practices by Aliyun and other leading cloud providers.

“Dr. Gao Yimin, China Managing Director at BSI said: “Aliyun should feel proud of the award. Aliyun has initiated numerous service modes while leading the Chinese cloud computing service market. Our CSA STAR Certification assessors have conducted a rigorous assessment of Aliyun’s cloud computing service and maturity levels, and with no  non-conformities, we gave Aliyun the gold award. This is testament to Aliyun’s dedication to delivering high security and privacy levels.”

Research shows 51% organizations are reluctant to migrate to the cloud due to concerns about data security flaws. By adopting CSA STAR Certification, Cloud Service Providers will be able to give prospective customers a greater understanding of their levels of security controls, as well as to demonstrate their responsibility and professionalism to providing a secure cloud service.