The National Institute for Standards and Technology wants to demystify cloud computing.
NIST released a special publication on Tuesday to “explain cloud systems in plain language” and provide information technology executives with recommendations, concerns and the benefits of migrating to the cloud.
The 81-page document explains the level of service agencies can expect in various cloud environments and what potential pitfalls they should be aware of, such as abrupt changes in service agreements by the cloud providers and scheduled service outages, depending on the type of cloud.
Recommendations include:
– Develop a plan for migrating data to and from the cloud and for accessing the data once it is in the cloud.
– Require that a cloud provider offer a mechanism for deleting user data on request and providing evidence that the data was deleted.
– Request that a provider allow visibility into the operating services that affect your data or operations on that data, including monitoring of the system’s welfare.
