IT companies are increasingly considering cloud computing adoption to keep their technology up-to-date. Cloud computing adoption is a strategic move by IT managers or CIOs to reduce computing costs, mitigate risks, and enable simpler scaling of the business. If you are also considering cloud computing adoption for your company, here’s all you need to know about the government regulations surrounding this.

Data security

Over the years, the US government has enforced policies for the adoption of cloud services that meet strict regulations regarding the privacy and security of data. A ‘Federal Cloud Computing’ strategy was introduced by the government in 2010. It brought the ‘Cloud First’ policy into force which recommends that cloud-based solutions must be evaluated as a part of IT investment decisions. 

In 2018, the policy was updated with security measures, procurement, and skill requirement guidelines as a part of the ‘Cloud Smart’ initiative. The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) was enabled, too. It sets a standard for the evaluation of security testing, authorizations, and the continuous monitoring of cloud services or products to ensure data safety. Many government agencies are partnering with FedRAMP-certified service providers in light of the increase in data breach instances for transmitting sensitive government data. Keeping all the security protocols in place, more and more government agencies are adopting cloud-based computing for the storage and transmission of their sensitive data. 

While there are no other cloud-specific regulations, the regulations about data safety must be considered. The government has also set a certification system in place that assesses whether your business meets all the security standards set by the government or not. If you meet the requirements, you will be certified and then you can also take up government work.

Adherence to non-cloud policies

Apart from strict data security policies, you must adhere to all the IT policies that were in effect before cloud computing became the trend. While the governments are working towards coming up with cloud-specific policies, there is still a lack of regulations and laws that are specifically geared for a sustainable cloud-computing future. In the absence of such laws, you are required to adhere to standard laws related to Information Technology and ensure compliance. Regulations such as confidentiality, authorized use of physical devices, data encryption, secure network access, and incident response practices must be followed diligently. You can enlist the help of legal counsels that specialize in information technology practices and also stay updated about changes to existing policies.