Using the cloud for records storage: issues of trust

Organisations cannot avoid working in the cloud and therefore records are being stored in the cloud either by design or by default. This raises important issues of trust in using third-party cloud service providers for storing records and digital archival collections. What factors contribute to trust in the decision-making process? What are the implications that archives and records (ARM) professionals need to understand and assess? This article discusses findings from an international research project that explored issues of trust in the context of the economics of cloud storage services. The most significant issues of trust to emerge were trust in the sustainability and continued economic viability of cloud storage services. Whilst anticipated costs savings (software, hardware, human) was the most frequently cited reason for adopting a cloud storage service, the research revealed that very few organisations or ARM professionals had actually estimated the costs, suggesting decision-making processes are inadequate. A basis for trust in cloud storage solutions might be found in the enhancement of checklists and other guidance documents for ARM professionals to address economic considerations.