This article provides a description and reflection on the data privacy in the cloud. The analysis is carried out on the basis of the results of a survey consisting of four closed questions and distributed in the electronic form to a sample formed by desirable computer technicians to present the most relevant data.
Introduction:
Before proceeding, it is very necessary to know what is cloud hosting. Cloud computing is the democratization of distributed computing and can be defined in two different ways. From an engineering perspective, cloud computing is defined as providing services allocated to virtual machines on top of a big pile of physical machines. Whereas, from a business perspective, cloud computing is characterized as a method to achieve high scalability and availability in large scale applications.
There are three distinct types of cloud computing. The cloud applications such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and WordPress.com and Wikipedia, in which service is provided on the Internet, applications that users use without worrying about where, how and by whom it is processed and stored. Such computing service is offered or sold as applications available and ready to use for clients.
The platforms in the cloud, such as Mosso, Google App Engine and Force.com, where a cloud application platform is available on which development of application is possible. In this type the application is placed and run on a platform somewhere in the cloud. Usually has the ability to grow with the automatic processing and storage and dependent on the use of the application.
The infrastructure in the cloud, are offering more generic, where Amazon has pioneered and where resources are acquired primarily for computational and storage purposes, with the aim of providing and running applications. This type of computing is seen as the most potent, whereas, theoretically, any application or configuration that can be accessed via the Internet, can be implemented as an cloud infrastructure.
Data Privacy:
According to the Committee on Privacy in the Information Age National Research Council the U.S. National Academies (2007), data privacy is a major concern which is increasing. The spread of the Internet and the seemingly limitless options for collecting , storing and sharing data, plus practices developed by companies and government agencies to provide information online, which have sometimes new ways to compromise privacy, and where e-commerce and technology allows access to personal information, triggered the concern of consumer to one of the most current, discussed and concern on the age information.
For daily users of computers and the Internet, cloud computing is just an online activity, such as approaching data or using software programs, which may be accessed from various devices and using different forms of Internet access.
Here, in this case, the data or software applications are generally not stored on the user computer, but are accessed via a web interface from any device, and from any place where there is an internet connection.
This new method of access to the personal information has raised number of questions which are not appreciated by users, questions such as reliability and control. Here, the users need to depend on the cloud and have to trust that their data and required services will be available 24/7. And since, the personal data rely in such a large interconnected grid, basically which is operated by an external entity and distributed by multiple data centers. It simply means that the user loses the control over the personal information. Thus, confidence, security and privacy become important figures in the viability of cloud computing.
Study:
A study released by Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 69% of Internet users in the United States use some form of cloud based solutions such as Cloud Hosting, Cloud Storage, etc… to store the data, photographs, of videos in the cloud, or use of services or web applications such as electronic mail. However, some users appreciate the convenience and ease of access content stored online and the ability to be able to share them with others.
Conclusions:
The study has shown that there is a high level of use of the cloud and a high level of concern about the data privacy. Through analysis of the survey it appears that 89% of the samples give importance of confidentiality of their data and documents, and that only 16% recognizes that these services ensure the confidentiality of their data and documents.
