Good things about cloud computing

Government contractors have a wide range of unique challenges, not the least of which is data security. A good example is the interim rule the Department of Defense (DoD) issued last month that implements sections of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2015. In short, these provisions expand the incident reporting requirements for contractors and increase the security requirements for cloud service providers.The Secretary of Defense determined that “urgent and compelling” reasons exist to issue the interim rule without prior opportunity for public comment. There is an urgent need to protect covered defense information and to increase awareness of the full scope of cyber incidents being committed against defense contractors. The use of cloud computing has greatly increased, according to the Secretary, and has increased the vulnerability of DoD information. The recent high-profile breaches of Federal information also influenced this determination. … [Read more...] about DoD Issues Interim Rule For Contractors on Incident Reporting and Cloud Computing Services

Clouded JudgmentAt My Shingle, Washington, D.C., solo Carolyn Elefant takes various state bar associations to task for their uniformly similar recommendations that lawyers get their clients’ express consent when they store clients’ data in cloud platforms.“Not only does this kind of requirement throw up a red flag that can heighten clients concern, but it makes us lawyers look as if we’re trying to pass the buck on security,” Elefant wrote.Also, when one considers that most of these clients use online banking or patronize doctors’ offices that store data in the cloud—but weren’t asked for permission for those entities to do so—“clients will either wonder (1) whether the cloud products that we lawyers use are inferior to those of banks and doctors (because otherwise, why would a special consent be required), or (2) how they’re expected to know whether the cloud is safe enough for their data to provide informed consent … [Read more...] about Around the Blawgosphere: Bar Associations Too Cautious on Ethics of Cloud Computing, Blogger Writes

Two major legal and technological changes that have taken place in the past several years are now colliding. First, with the rise of social networking and other trends, governments at every level are passing tougher laws that protect the privacy and security of personal data. Second, the decreasing costs of computer storage and bandwidth make it feasible for the first time for businesses of all sizes to outsource storage of their customers’ personal and financial data to the “cloud.”These two changes — a patchwork of new privacy and data security laws and the rapid rise of cloud computing — mean that businesses face different data storage risks. Businesses therefore should understand, both from a legal and technological perspective, how to use cloud computing safely to store personal data about their customers.Some privacy and data security laws have been in place for years. For instance, HIPAA regulates the privacy and security of medical information, the … [Read more...] about Safely Storing Confidential Customer Data in the Cloud

Interest in “cloud computing” is picking up steam among lawyers for several good reasons. Proponents say its advantages center on economy, simplicity and accessibility.Cloud computing—also known as software as a service, or SaaS—is, in essence, a sophisticated form of remote electronic data storage on the Internet. Unlike traditional methods that maintain data on a computer or server at a law office or other place of business, data stored “in the cloud” is kept on large servers located elsewhere and maintained by a vendor.That means the vendor—not the firm—purchases, maintains and updates hardware and software, and the firm generally pays a monthly fee to the vendor for its services. More over, data stored in the cloud can be accessed more easily than information maintained on a local network, as long as there is a handy Internet connection.But some of the advantages of cloud computing also are reasons for lawyers to be cautious about its … [Read more...] about Get Your Head in the Cloud

When it comes to small law firms ethically practicing “in the cloud,” knowing what questions to ask can be as important as the answers.Philadelphia attorney Daniel Siegel clued in his audience to some state ethics opinions that highlight those questions in his presentation, “Moving Your Practice to the Cloud Safely and Ethically,” at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago on Thursday.Small law firms may feel underpowered facing big cloud computing vendors, and giants like Google and Apple’s iCloud have elements in their generic terms of service that are ethically unacceptable under rules of professional lawyer conduct.But Siegel rules out avoiding Internet practice all together. “Yes there are issues,” he says, “but … we need to be prudent, as with any other technology“ lawyers have come to depend on. So questioning vendors on what security, access and service they provide is as necessary as with any other legal tool.Not surprising … [Read more...] about Know the Questions to Ask So You Can Practice Ethically in the Cloud