Regulating Cloud Computing

More and more businesses are shifting to cloud computing for their data management strategies. Simultaneously, questions surrounding regulatory obligations continue to arise, not because of the complex nature of existing regulations, but because of the lack of any that actually address cloud computing by name. At the same time, privacy law’s rapid evolution means that it is only a matter of time before the law catches up to this technology. The legal landscape remains unclear, but businesses would do well to develop compliance programs that satisfy current legislative frameworks and prepare them for the inevitable arrival of laws that do impose obligations upon both the users and providers of cloud services. 

By Max Lutze^[1]

In fashion, trends come and go. But every now and then a designer forever transforms the way people dress, and in technology, the cloud is no different. Much like Coco Chanel’s Little Black Dress quickly made its way into the meaning of a complete women’s wardrobe, in the world of electronic data, storing data in the cloud is becoming the new norm for companies’ data management strategies.

The advent of cloud computing enables companies to keep one finger on the data they manage at all times as well as have a seemingly infinite amount of space to store it. However, even if moving to the cloud obviates the need for on-premise storage systems, there is still a strong impetus to responsibly manage that virtually stored data. But wh