Cloud Computing Law

Have you ever wondered what’s in the small print of cloud contracts? Or who owns the information you upload to the cloud? And who can access and control it? If so, then this course is for you! You’ll learn to identify the legal risks involved in cloud computing transactions - and to suggest possible solutions. To understand how cloud computing works, we’ll first describe different kinds of cloud services and explain how they differ from in-house IT in terms of control, access, and cybersecurity. To understand how the law applies to cloud computing transactions, we’ll focus on the contracts between cloud providers and their customers. You’ll learn to identify and interpret key contract terms and to assess whether customers might negotiate better terms with providers. Finally, we’ll explain how English law protects trade secrets and copyright works stored in the cloud. If you’re a lawyer, this course will be your guide to cloud infrastructure and supply chains. If you have a technical or commercial background, this course will introduce you to key legal issues in contracts and intellectual property. In short, if you’re interested in how the law applies to cloud computing, this course is for you.

Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud services. You’ll learn to identify controllers and processors, describe their roles and responsibilities, and understand how cloud customers and providers can comply in practice. Second, we’ll look at international transfers of personal data. We’ll explain how the GDPR can apply to cloud providers and their customers anywhere in the world, as well as how restrictions on international transfers apply to cloud services. Third, we’ll look at how the Network and Information Security (‘NIS’) Directive regulates the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. You’ll learn to identify cloud providers’ duties to notify security breaches and to keep their services secure, and how to apply those duties to concrete case studies. In short, this course covers how the GDPR and NIS Directive apply to cloud services and what cloud providers and their customers should do to comply.