Consumer Tips: Cloud Computing Privacy Tips

February 23, 2009

By Robert Gellman and Pam Dixon

Tips for consumers:

Read the Terms of Service before placing any information in the cloud. If you don’t understand the Terms of Service, consider using a different cloud provider.
Don’t put anything in the cloud you would not want the government or a private litigant to see.
Pay close attention if the cloud provider reserves rights to use, disclose, or make public your information.
Read the privacy policy before placing your information in the cloud. If you don’t understand the policy, consider using a different provider.
When you remove your data from the cloud provider, does the cloud provider still retain rights to your information? If so, consider whether that makes a difference to you.

Will the cloud provider give advance notice of any change of terms in the terms of service or privacy policy?

Tips for business or government:

Beware of “ad hoc” cloud computing. Any organization should have standardized rules in place telling employees when and if they may utilize cloud computing and for what data.
Don’t put anything in the cloud you wouldn’t want a competitor, your government, or another government to see.
Read the Terms of Service. Then read the Terms of Service again.
Make sure that you are not violating any law or policy, by putting data in the cloud, and think twice before putting any consumer data in the cloud.
Consult with your technical, security or corporate governance advisors about the advisability of putting data in the cloud.

For More Information on Cloud Computing:
See World Privacy Forum’s report on Cloud Computing, Privacy in the Clouds: Risks to Privacy and Confidentiality from Cloud Computing <https://www.worldprivacyforum.org/2009/02/report-privacy-in-the-clouds/>.

For updates to the report, these tips, and other documents related to the report, see the World Privacy Forum’s Cloud Privacy page at: <https://www.worldprivacyforum.org/2011/11/resource-page-cloud-privacy/>.

Posted February 23, 2009 in Blog Post, Cloud Computing, Consumer Tips, Uncategorized

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