Cloud computing brings changes for IT security workers

IT security experts are struggling to compete with cloud computing.  Because of the low cost and expertise received from vendors like Google and Amazon, security professionals are failing in determining configuration management processes.  Configuration management means recording and updating data for software and hardware to know which applications are used on computers.  This is difficult because it requires understanding what employees do in an organization, and why certain technologies are used to operate in the business.  Since this is a difficult process and not all IT departments are aligned with the business, enterprises are turning to cloud providers who have a better understand for a lower price. Security professionals need to create a business case to gain support on using in-house employees instead of a vendor to combat this threat.  The article recommends talking about how much money can be saved from removing software that is not part the configuration plan.  If this trend continues, IT and enterprise computing could turn into a commodity and simply outsourced, which means less control and less peace of mind for the business.

How else do you think security professionals can compete against these vendors? Do you think that IT has a threat to be turned into a commodity?