A Framework for the Evaluation o f CloudSourcing Proposals

Many organisations have recently adopted variants of cloud computing. Many of them have done so with considerable enthusiasm, but with very little reflection. Commentators have warned of uncertain benefits, predictable disbenefits and a wide range of risks. A study of IT media reports shows that cloud outages are frequent, and that at least some of the theoretical risks are very real. This paper draws on the accumulated bodies of theory on outsourcing and information and IT security in order to propose an evaluation framework. This instrument supports an organisation\u27s executives in evaluating proposals for cloud computing, and assists their governing Boards to fulfil their legal obligations to ensure that choices are informed by business case analysis and risk assessment

FOTE 2008 Conference Report

A report prepared by JA.Net and ULCC about the Future of Technology in Education (FOTE 2008) conference, Imperial College, 3rd October 2008. It covers the main speakers, themes and presentations: Cloud Computing, Second Life, Portability, Personalisation, Shared Services, Campus of the Future, Mobile Technology, Creativity and Media Production, Social Collaboration Tools for Staff and Students

The future of social is personal: the potential of the personal data store

This chapter argues that technical architectures that facilitate the longitudinal, decentralised and individual-centric personal collection and curation of data will be an important, but partial, response to the pressing problem of the autonomy of the data subject, and the asymmetry of power between the subject and large scale service providers/data consumers. Towards framing the scope and role of such Personal Data Stores (PDSes), the legalistic notion of personal data is examined, and it is argued that a more inclusive, intuitive notion expresses more accurately what individuals require in order to preserve their autonomy in a data-driven world of large aggregators. Six challenges towards realising the PDS vision are set out: the requirement to store data for long periods; the difficulties of managing data for individuals; the need to reconsider the regulatory basis for third-party access to data; the need to comply with international data handling standards; the need to integrate privacy-enhancing technologies; and the need to future-proof data gathering against the evolution of social norms. The open experimental PDS platform INDX is introduced and described, as a means of beginning to address at least some of these six challenges

Laypeoples' and experts' risk perception of cloud computing

Cloud computing is revolutionising the way software services are procured and used by Government organizations and SMEs. Quantitative risk assessment of Cloud services is complex and undermined by specific security concerns regarding data confidentiality, integrity and availability. This study explores how the gap between the quantitative risk assessment and the perception of the risk can produce a bias in the decision-making process about Cloud computing adoption. The risk perception of experts in Cloud computing (N=37) and laypeople (N=81) about ten Cloud computing services was investigated using the psychometric paradigm. Results suggest that the risk perception of Cloud services can be represented by two components, called dread risk and unknown risk, which may explain up to 46% of the variance. Other factors influencing the risk perception were perceived benefits, trust in regulatory authorities and technology attitude. This study suggests some implications that could support Government and non-Government organizations in their strategies for Cloud computing adoption

KEY FACTORS INCREASING THE TRUST AND INTENTION TO ADOPT STANDARD CLOUD-BASED APPLICATIONS

A generic standard cloud-based application such as Google Docs are generally among the first to be considered for adoption by end-users. Thus, it is worthy to examine what factors influence trust and the intention of continuing use for such a cloud-based application. Unlike traditional, on-premise applications, familiarity is not an issue for trusting generic, simple cloud-based applications. Moreover, perceived risk is low enough that it has negative, as opposed to the usual positive, impact on trust and the intention of continuing use. The results of this study also imply that the agile adoption of standard cloud-based applications needs to consider factors, including perceived privacy control, system quality, and user satisfaction because these factors can increase the trust of users. Theoretical and practical implications were drawn from the findings of this study