Core elements in information security accountability in the cloud

This paper proposes 9 core elements of information security accountability in the area of cloud computing. The core elements were determined via a series of 18 case studies with Omani government organisations that were actively using and/or providing cloud computing. 36 interviews were conducted and then analysed using a grounded theory methodology As a result of the analysis, responsibility, transparency, assurance, remediation, accountability support environment, flexible change process, collaboration, mechanisms and commitment to external criteria. The research also found that the emphasis on specific core elements is context-dependent and that there was considerable variation in emphasis amongst the case study organisations

Security Implications of Adopting a New Data Storage and Access Model in Big Data and Cloud Computing

This article examines the security implications of using cloud computing and Big Data. It employs a mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative research and takes a critical realist epistemological approach. The objective is to identify the components of a theory for predicting and explaining [1, 4] the security implications associated with adopting the services provided by cloud computing and Big Data. The integration of various information sources and the widespread use of computing across diverse fields have resulted in a significant increase in data volume, scale, quantity, and diversity. Consequently, data management, storage, retrieval, and access have undergone significant changes. The latest developments in IT have brought forth novel technologies such as Cloud Computing and Big Data. Big Data comprises of technologies that rely on NoSQL (Not only SQL) databases, which enable the growth of data volumes, numbers, and types on a large scale. The new NoSQL systems are seen as solutions for meeting scalability requirements of large IT firms. Multiple open-source and pay-as-you-go NoSQL models are available for purchase

Determining Factors of Cloud Computing Adoption: A Study of Indonesian Local Government Employees

Research aims: This study aims to identify the factors that influence the Indonesian local government employees to adopt cloud computing.Design/Methodology/Approach: A Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theory were employed to identify these factors. Research data were obtained using an online survey of employees, working in local governments in Indonesia. This study obtained 123 responses, which were then processed utilizing the structural equation modeling approach.Research findings: The results showed that Performance Expectations, Business Expectations, and Perception of Availability had a positive effect on the intention of local government employees to use cloud computing.Theoretical contribution/ Originality: This study expanded the UTAUT model by including security factors. Thus, creating a new cloud computing adoption model contributed to a theoretical finding in the context of government cloud computing adoption.Practitioner/Policy implication: The results of this study make practical contributions to cloud computing service providers in order to understand what factors drive the adoption of cloud computing by local government employees. In addition, the study also helps the top management in local government organizations to develop adoption strategies by understanding the influential determinants of cloud computing adoption on their employees.Research limitation/Implication: The context of this study is restricted to Indonesian local government employees. The local government employees have their characteristics, and it is different from other government employees in the central government

Partly Cloudy, Scattered Clients: Cloud Implementation in the Federal Government

Since the issuance of a federal mandate in 2010 requiring federal government agencies in the United States of America to immediately shift to a “Cloud First” policy, agencies have struggled to adopt cloud computing. Previous research has examined hindrances to cloud computing adoption across industries in the private sector (Raza et al., 2015, Park and Ryoo, 2012, and Bhattacherjee and Park, 2012). While this research provides important insights on cloud computing adoption in the private sector, it devotes scant attention to challenges of cloud computing adoption in the federal government. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining the roles of Top Management Support and Information Security Awareness on cloud computing implementation success in the federal government. Institutional theory serves as the theoretical framework for this study

How blockchain impacts cloud-based system performance: a case study for a groupware communication application

This paper examines the performance trade-off when implementing a blockchain architecture for a cloud-based groupware communication application. We measure the additional cloud-based resources and performance costs of the overhead required to implement a groupware collaboration system over a blockchain architecture. To evaluate our groupware application, we develop measuring instruments for testing scalability and performance of computer systems deployed as cloud computing applications. While some details of our groupware collaboration application have been published in earlier work, in this paper we reflect on a generalized measuring method for blockchain-enabled applications which may in turn lead to a general methodology for testing cloud-based system performance and scalability using blockchain. Response time and transaction throughput metrics are collected for the blockchain implementation against the non-blockchain implementation and some conclusions are drawn about the additional resources that a blockchain architecture for a groupware collaboration application impose

Could the Outsourcing of Incident Response Management provide a Blueprint for Managing Other Cloud Security Requirements?

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