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A new strategy is coming soon for the European Union after the commissioner for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, said European data protection rules must be made to help the cloud economy. She spoke at a Digital Economy event in Brussels, where she said data protection is an important part of cloud computing.

As spy agencies are working to share data more securely, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a group of people at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that cloud computing will play a "major role" in defending U.S. agencies information, according to Bloomberg.

While much of the talk of cloud computing and security over the last few years has been making the cloud more secure, one company that makes automated teller machines is looking to protect data being collected with the cloud, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently finalized its first set of guidelines, which looks to provide an overview on the security and privacy facing public cloud computing.

When moving into a cloud computing solution, Karl Flinders writes on ComputerWeekly that companies can't forget about security, even if the cloud is being managed by a third party. Hackers could be getting more specific in what kind of businesses, people or other entities they attack in the next year.

Before a company or individual adopts a cloud computing solution, Sridhar Sarathy, vice president of India operations at Juniper Networks, said they need to ask certain questions about the service's security.

While there has been a fear that technology such as cloud-based email and cloud-based productivity tools would not have the same level of security as legacy programs, one security firm executive said people will get over their fears of cloud computing security in 2012, according to SC Magazine.

While not many doubt that cloud computing can provide cost savings, flexibility and efficiency, many are still concerned at the level of security.

With security improving for cloud computing services such as cloud-based email, the industry can't start to back down.

In an effort to help fight cybercrime in the cloud, Trend Micro, a computer security company, is looking to link up with the International Cybersecurity Protection Alliance to establish the "Global Cyber Nation" in Washington, D.C. The company said this coalition will help to fight against cybercrime.