Evaluation of Conditions Regarding Cloud Computing Applications in Turkey, EU and the USA - Challenges of Information Management Beyond the Cloud - page 36

Evaluation of Conditions Regarding Cloud Computing
Applications in Turkey, EU and the USA

Türkay Henkoğlu and Özgür Külcü

Hacettepe University, Department of Information Management,
Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
{henkoglu,kulcu}@hacettepe.edu.tr

Abstract. Cloud computing services are delivered over the Internet and allow
data access from anywhere at any time. In spite of numerous advantages
provided by cloud computing, it is important to recognize the potential threats
that could include loss of user data. The aim of this study is to raise public
awareness on cloud computing by conducting a review of the literature and
investigating security and privacy issues related to user data stored on remote
servers in the current cloud computing systems. The current laws of United
States and all directives and agreements in European Union are examined in
order to draw attention to the legal risks and problems in the study. This study
shows that there are no legal regulations relating to security and privacy issues
of cloud computing in Turkey within the scope of the current cloud computing
service agreements.

Keywords: Cloud computing, cloud computing risks, protection of private data,
USA data security, EU data security, Turkey data security.

1 Introduction

Although we do not have consensus on a clear definition of cloud computing, it can
be defined as a service structure which enables applications to run via a remote server
on the Internet environment or as user data stored in a remote server which makes
data accessible at any moment. While web interface makes information accessible
everywhere and by everyone entitled to access, cloud computing has made
information processing usable everywhere and for everyone [1]. However, users are
worried about the use of cloud systems, especially where mobile communication and
information transfer operations are concerned, because in an informatics era where
information is deemed to be of most value, there is a perception that these systems
provide inadequate information security. Risks of cloud computing and legal actions
in that context have been discussed extensively in the EU and the US [2]. It appears
that the rate of utilization of cloud computing services is increasing rapidly in Turkey.
However, there are no laws protecting users against possible damages. This means
that the risk of all data transferred to a cloud system is assumed by the user receiving
cloud service.
Cloud computing is classified under four groups according to type of use. "Public
Cloud" generating services (for example, Google Apps, Amazon, Windows Azure)