Assignment: Securing the Data

In this assignment, you will examine the security issues involved in cloud computing. Based on the scenario below, you will provide the advantages and disadvantages with regards to security of data in a cloud-based system, based on users in the office and out of the office (telecommuters).

Scenario:

A salesperson for your company lost his laptop and all the data in it during a fire in his house. Since this salesperson was a telecommuter, he or she did not have proper backups in place for the data. All the customers' data for this salesperson have been lost. Your company has conducted a thorough audit of the backup and security procedures in-house and determined that most, if not all, data on telecommuters' laptops is neither being properly backed up nor secured. Providing security of data is not limited to protection from theft but also includes securing it from loss. Your company is contemplating moving all the data to the cloud with a hope that it would be more secure. You have been tasked with providing the company with an explanation of the security advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based solutions.

Tasks:

• Provide five or more security advantages of cloud-based solutions. Explain how one or more of them could have prevented the issue in the above scenario.

• Provide five or more security disadvantages of cloud-based solutions. Explain how one or more of them would not have prevented the issue in the above scenario.

• Consider the possibility that telecommuters may not always be connected to the Internet. Explain this statement with a rationale in the above scenario.

Note: Your response should rely upon at least two sources from professional literature-articles from peer-reviewed journals and relevant textbooks. Write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and use accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Submission Details:

In a minimum of 300 words, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Review and comment on at least two of your classmates' responses. Consider the following in your response:

• Provide a statement of clarification or a point of view with rationale.
• Challenge a point of discussion or draw a relationship between one or more points of the discussion.