Does Cloud Computing = Outsourcing??

No different as far as I can tell. You may want to ask yourself the following:
1. Do you have a dedicated or shared environment?
2. If shared, how is it managed?
3. What information do you host publicly?
4. How do you define and what are your controls? Controls will vary from each environment so translations will be required.

Upshot: If your cloud provider can meet your security goals then you're good. Simple as that.

Can Virtualization Reduce Risk?? You Betcha!

Server consolidation is one of the biggest use cases of virtualization. But with consolidation, comes the serious risk that one virtual instance can compromise others. Definitely a good idea to manage risk by keeping the most sensitive data separate from public data.

But virtualization can be used to greatly reduce risk too. How? Rather than going from say 10 servers to one, virtualize to two instead. This serves as a counterbalance to a single point of failure. Further its much faster to bring up a virtual server than a physical server. Q.e.d. you can can leverage virtualization to mitigate availability risk.

What does the Ideal Data Center Look like?

• Secure
• Service-Oriented
• Agile
• Performance and Energy Efficient

How can the Cloud Help:

• On-Demand Self-Service Administration
• Shared Multiple Tenants
• Responsive and Capable Elasticity
• Broad Network Access
• Resource Pooling
• Measured Services and Reporting

Automatic
Self-provisioning

Cloud Computing: Myth or Legend??

Is cloud computing real? Is it just another name for the public internet? Is private cloud just another name for a data center. Or is there really more to it than that?

Cloud computing is real. It enables services on demand to a wide range of devices such as PCs, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, etc. These services are delivered via a shared and scalable pool of compute, storage, and networking infrastructure. Many common online applications such as email, search, and social networking are delivered via the "cloud".

Cloud computing is changing business and infrastructure paradigms within IT more than any other issue.