111
Supervisor 2015, p. 12). This authority specifically refers to cloud computing as one of the technologies that needs to carefully address the protection of data stored in cloud based systems, especially in an age when
people are requested to upload their data from many and different
instances in order to access even services related to basic needs. The EDPS
also states that human dignity and ethics can be protected only in so far as
the following four pillars are established: current regulation should be
future-oriented; accountability of those in charge of checking compliance
with internal policies and general regulation should be enhanced by codes
of conduct, corporate rules and audits; the computer engineering system
should be respectful of human dignity, structurally taking into account
issues related to privacy; final users need to be empowered (Sect. 6.3.3 will
address this last point more in-depth).
It is intended that these pillars should be applied to cloud computing,
especially because issues pertaining to data ownership in the cloud environment may not be clearcut (Al-Khouri 2012; Grimes et al. 2009).
Indeed, ownership of data is dependent on the nature of the data owned
and where and/or how it was created. Some data is created by the user
before uploading to the cloud while other data may be created on the
cloud platform (e.g. statistical data). The service provider’s terms of services can vary and may grant ownership of such data to the provider or to
the public domain i.e. the mere uploading of content to the cloud may
erode the user’s ownership entitlements to the data (Al-Khouri 2012).
In addition, the arrangement and structuring of data on the cloud may
be dominated by the service provider rather than the user and this manipulation of the data, e.g. generating and running algorithms while optimising data or generating statistical analysis, can have implications in relation
to ownership. Ultimately, it is difficult to determine who actually owns
this optimized data as any data on a cloud platform is likely to have complicated ownership (Cavoukian 2008).
6.3.1.2 Data Security and Privacy
Data security in the context of cloud computing refers to securing data
from unauthorised access and is largely a technical issue which providers
must implement and maintain (Zissis and Lekkas 2012). Firdhous et al.
(2012) discuss the importance of the security issue in specific relation to
cloud computing. The complex interconnection of multiple services by a
series of different providers for ever increasing numbers of users generates
a myriad of issues in relation to the security of users’ data. In reality, the
6 ETHICS AND CLOUD COMPUTING
Supervisor 2015, p. 12). This authority specifically refers to cloud computing as one of the technologies that needs to carefully address the protection of data stored in cloud based systems, especially in an age when
people are requested to upload their data from many and different
instances in order to access even services related to basic needs. The EDPS
also states that human dignity and ethics can be protected only in so far as
the following four pillars are established: current regulation should be
future-oriented; accountability of those in charge of checking compliance
with internal policies and general regulation should be enhanced by codes
of conduct, corporate rules and audits; the computer engineering system
should be respectful of human dignity, structurally taking into account
issues related to privacy; final users need to be empowered (Sect. 6.3.3 will
address this last point more in-depth).
It is intended that these pillars should be applied to cloud computing,
especially because issues pertaining to data ownership in the cloud environment may not be clearcut (Al-Khouri 2012; Grimes et al. 2009).
Indeed, ownership of data is dependent on the nature of the data owned
and where and/or how it was created. Some data is created by the user
before uploading to the cloud while other data may be created on the
cloud platform (e.g. statistical data). The service provider’s terms of services can vary and may grant ownership of such data to the provider or to
the public domain i.e. the mere uploading of content to the cloud may
erode the user’s ownership entitlements to the data (Al-Khouri 2012).
In addition, the arrangement and structuring of data on the cloud may
be dominated by the service provider rather than the user and this manipulation of the data, e.g. generating and running algorithms while optimising data or generating statistical analysis, can have implications in relation
to ownership. Ultimately, it is difficult to determine who actually owns
this optimized data as any data on a cloud platform is likely to have complicated ownership (Cavoukian 2008).
6.3.1.2 Data Security and Privacy
Data security in the context of cloud computing refers to securing data
from unauthorised access and is largely a technical issue which providers
must implement and maintain (Zissis and Lekkas 2012). Firdhous et al.
(2012) discuss the importance of the security issue in specific relation to
cloud computing. The complex interconnection of multiple services by a
series of different providers for ever increasing numbers of users generates
a myriad of issues in relation to the security of users’ data. In reality, the
6 ETHICS AND CLOUD COMPUTING