Cloud Computing: Vulnerabilities, Privacy and Legislation

Cloud computing is an indispensable part of the current business and service industries, its usage raising many issues. These issues range from those intrinsic to the nature of cloud itself and those stemming as a result of inability of the legislature to keep up with the dynamic nature of technology. This paper discusses the nature of conflicts and issues that may arise in providing cloud services. Starting with the possibility of security threats to cloud computing, the paper discusses the overlap of cloud services with intellectual property. It further looks at the legal regime for protecting and regulating cloud related activities. The need for standards and best practices is also reviewed. The paper concludes with a call for regulatory reforms both at a national and international level.