# Risk-Driven Compliant Access Controls for Clouds

**Authors:** Hanene Boussi Rahmouni, Kamran Munir, Mohammed Odeh, Richard McClatchey  
**arXiv:** [1202.5482](https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.5482)  
**Date:** 2012-02-24  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1202.5482v2/

## Key points

- Benefits of cloud computing: cost savings and increased agility
- Security and regulatory compliance concerns hinder adoption
- Public clouds are commonly used but can create conflicts when exchanging private data due to multiple jurisdictions with varying degrees of harmonization
- Measurable solutions specific to cloud contexts are needed for managing regulatory compliance
- "Risk-Driven Compliant Access Controls for Clouds" proposes an approach that begins with a conceptual model of explicit regulatory requirements for exchanging private data in multijurisdictional environments
- Metrics for non-compliance or risks to compliance would be integrated into standard data access-control policies and checked at policy analysis time before decisions regarding data access are made
- This approach could help organizations using cloud technology better manage regulatory compliance risks associated with the exchange of private data across multiple jurisdictions while also addressing security concerns
- The authors argue that such an approach could increase acceptance and adoption of cloud computing by addressing ongoing challenges related to security and regulatory compliance concerns.

## Summary

The benefits of cloud computing are widely acknowledged for their cost savings and increased agility. However, security and regulatory compliance concerns from both social and commercial stakeholders still hinder its adoption. Public clouds, which are commonly used, are deployed across broad geographical or even international domains. This can create conflicts when exchanging private and protected data due to multiple jurisdictions with varying degrees of harmonization. Significant efforts have been made to manage regulatory compliance for large distributed systems but measurable solutions specific to cloud contexts are needed. In the position paper titled "Risk-Driven Compliant Access Controls for Clouds," authors Hanene Boussi Rahmouni, Kamran Munir, Mohammed Odeh, and Richard McClatchey propose an approach that begins with a conceptual model of explicit regulatory requirements for exchanging private data in multijurisdictional environments. They then build on this model to define metrics for non-compliance or risks to compliance which would be integrated into standard data access-control policies and checked at policy analysis time before decisions regarding data access are made. This approach could help organizations using cloud technology better manage regulatory compliance risks associated with the exchange of private data across multiple jurisdictions while also addressing security concerns. The authors argue that such an approach could increase acceptance and adoption of cloud computing by addressing ongoing challenges related to security and regulatory compliance concerns.