Stakeholders in the cloud computing value-chain : A socio-technical review of data breach literature

Abstract

This paper is about stakeholders in the cloud computing value-chain. Early cloud computing literature focused on the technical aspect of the technology and viewed the provider and customer as essential value-chain stakeholders. The more users that use cloud services, the potential for data breaches increases. The review of the literature was carried out using a social-technical approach. Socio-technical theory encapsulates the social, technical and environmental dimensions of a system. The outcomes of the search indicated that there are two pertinent stakeholder types: operational and non-operational. Operational stakeholders include cloud providers, customers, enablers, resellers and third-party providers. Non-operational stakeholders include regulators, legislators, courts, non-government organisations, law enforcement, industry-standard bodies and end-users. The end-users are critically important in the cloud value-chain in that they rely on online services for everyday activities and have their data compromised. The cloud value-chain presents that cloud services encapsulate more than just technology services. The paper considers the complex stakeholder relationships and data breach issues, indicating the need for a better socio-technical response from the stakeholders within the value-chain.