PRIVACY QUESTIONS IN CLOUD COMPUTING TODAY

There raised some valid questions about the security and privacy of cloud computing today;such as

• Are hosted data and applications within the cloud protected by suitably robust privacy policies?
• Are the cloud computing provider’s technical infrastructure, applications, and processes secure?
• Are processes in place to support appropriate action in the event of an incident that affects privacy or
  security?

Security is an essential component of strong privacy safeguards in all online computing environments, but security alone is not sufficient. Consumers and businesses are willing to use online computing only if they trust that their data will remain private and secure.The ability of cloud computing providers to live up to these expectations is critical not only for the future of cloud computing but also for protecting fundamental rights of privacy and freedom of expression. Microsoft has been examining and addressing privacy challenges in the evolving cloud computing realm for well over a decade. Our extensive experience has helped us develop well-defined business practices, privacy policies, and security measures that govern our cloud computing ecosystem. Recognizing that the cloud poses some new security and privacy challenges, we believe that our current policies and practices provide a solidbfoundation for addressing privacy issues and enabling greater trust in the Internet going forward.

reference
www.globalfoundationservices.com/security/documents/SecuringtheMSCloudMay09.pdf