The Engagement of ‘Cloud’
Computing Services Policy
Version
1.1
TRIM file number
Short description
Engaging Computing in Cloud Services
Relevant to
All employees
Authority
This Policy has been approved by the Executive
Director of Division of Information Technology
Responsible officer
Administrative Assistant of Executive Director of
Division of Information Technology
Responsible office
Office of Executive Director Division of Information
Technology
Date introduced
27 July 2011
Date(s) modified
2 Sep 2012
Next scheduled review date
Sep 2014
Related University documents
Related legislation
Privacy Act 1998
Telecommunications Act 2004
Key words
Cloud Computing, Outsource, Insource, Hosted,
Private Cloud, Public Cloud, Community Cloud
The Engagement of ‘Cloud’ Computing Style Services Policy
1.1 – Sep 2012
Page 1
1.
PURPOSE
The term “Cloud Computing” is a generic term, describing a range of facilities available for
use, given a set of circumstances.
Sample Definitions of Cloud Computing
2.

Cloud
A style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are
delivered as a service to customers using Internet technologies. The Internet has
always been diagrammatically described as a cloud, hence the term that a service
can be hosted ‘somewhere in the cloud’, or externally hosted

Outsourced
The service is delivered by an external IT organization using either the vendors’
infrastructure or CSU infrastructure.

Insourced Service
The service is delivered by CSU using CSU infrastructure

Private Cloud
The underlying infrastructure is dedicated to a single customer.

On Demand
Able to request increased infrastructure and services as demand grows whilst such
cloud services are attractive, for a range of reasons, thorough investigation is
required by the services of a provider are engaged (free or costed) as there are
many legislative and reputation issues in the failure of such a service.

Community Cloud
The underlying infrastructure is shared by the community e.g. ARCs. Where there is
a need to actually share information or services across a community. This will
become more important with the increased need for sharing of research data, in
particular

Public Cloud
The infrastructure is shared by a service providers’ customer base in general
SCOPE
This policy does not intend to be prescriptive in describing the process for the
engagement of a provider of a cloud service, but to point the reader toward qualified
staff to advise the appropriate strategy to utilise a cloud based service.
3.
OBJECTIVES
To ensure any staff member intending to engage the provider of a cloud-style service
is well informed and guided by appropriate staff before any agreement and/or
information is transferred between the university and provider.
The Engagement of ‘Cloud’ Computing Style Services Policy
1.1 – Sep 2012
Page 2
4.
TIMING
This policy is to be used whenever a cloud-style service is to be engaged, whether
through a formal project (via the ISIP or ICT:SWR), committee, working party,
research project or any other avenue of engagement.
5.
RESPONSIBILITIES
CSU is compelled by law and reputation to ensure the lowest possible risk of
exposure of the personal and private information of its students and staff, or the
confidential information of CSU.
Any CSU staff member with delegated authority, who stores or transmits
personal/private information of CSU students, staff, or other associated body, will,
before undertaking any task that will result in such storage or transmission, ensure
that they are compliant with the appropriate policies mentioned.
Where the transmission or storage is to be an ongoing process, then before any
agreements or subsequent implementation is considered, DIT will be engaged to
ensure that the process and the information assets comply appropriately.
The Executive Director, DIT, (or nominee) will co-ordinate and engage the services of
CSU Legal, the custodian(s) of the information and the CSU Ombudsman, as
appropriate to assist in the formation of any agreement required to support the storage
and/or transport of information.
6.
METHOD
Any staff member contemplating the use of a Cloud-based services, or the transfer or
storage of CSU information externally, will first engage the services of DIT to ensure
that resulting solution is viable and secure.
7.
REFERENCES
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
CSU Privacy Management Plan
CSU Privacy Statement
DIT Privacy Statement
DIT Enterprise Architecture and Liaison Standards and Principles
DIT Enterprise Architecture and Liaison Master Data Governance Framework
Delegations – IT & Records (I&T2)
CSU Records Policy
CSU Information Security Policy
CSU Data Governance Committee
Personal Information Storage & Transmission Policy
The Engagement of ‘Cloud’ Computing Style Services Policy
1.1 – Sep 2012
Page 3
Table of amendments
Version
number
1.0
1.1
Date
27 July 2011
2 Sep 2012
Short description of amendment
Creation of Policy
Minor modifications by Policy Review Team
The Engagement of ‘Cloud’ Computing Style Services Policy
1.1 – Sep 2012
Page 4