Senin, 28 Oktober 2013

How to Add a Tiny jQuery Circleslider to Blogger

Tiny Circleslider is a small jQuery plugin generating a circular carousel of images that we can slide infinitely (circular). When clicking on the red dot, the main picture moves to the left and another set of images will slide out. There is nothing complicated about using this type of carousel, however when it's about customizing it, we need to use a bit of arithmetic. All these details can be found in the author's homepage, so I'll just limit myself to show you the basics.

To see it in action, please visit the below demo blog and just drag the red dot:


tiny jquery circleslider, image slider

Adding the Tiny CircleSlider to a Blogger Blog

In order to make it work, first task is to add the javascript jQuery library in the template:

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger account > select your blog

Step 2. Go to "Template" and hit the Edit HTML button:

blogger template, edit html

Step 3. Click anywhere on the code area and search by using the CTRL + F keys for this tag:
</head>
blogger template html

Step 4. Just above the </head> tag, add the following scripts:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src="http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/jquery.tinycircleslider.min.js"/>
Please note that if you already have another version of jQuery, you will need to remove the line in red.

Step 5. Now, let's add the CSS styles above the same </head> tag:
<style>
  #rotatescroll { /* is the rectangle container */
    height: 300px;
    position: relative;
    width: 300px;
  }
  #rotatescroll .viewport { /* is the rectangle containing the images */
    height: 300px;
    position: relative;
    margin: 0 auto;
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 300px
  }
  #rotatescroll .overview { /* is the list with the images */
    left: 0;
    list-style: none;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
  }
  #rotatescroll .overview li { /* each item of the list */
    float: left;
    height: 300px;
    position: relative;
    width: 300px;
  }
  #rotatescroll .overlay { /* the image with the circle overlapping the list */
    background: transparent url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hePJGX2xiec2oEk625uxdW4Qmd8-LXj7775GRYQN0cY35I5zT2Pfuhg38nnVEs9JOCAgMDrP4jB9XtddvP5fAMlTnLsOaRcAkW6BujKRtmEeDKOXJiwK1vGF9akJzPnlGlLp4yOheK5c/s1600/bg-rotatescroll.png) no-repeat 0 0;
    height: 300px;
    left: 0;
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    width:300px;
  }
  #rotatescroll .thumb { /* the red circle that allows us to navigate */
    background:transparent url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBeEBYROkbAUxBb0ErJKWlyhKRRJzpi33HCHFYT4_AZjMzqAxzUYD634aot3eUem6MEkf1FlHO2BLBQn89l3kw93-JBbFGLKOx_raYx8RTGsQIXKaT4_DF9lZw14H8OYoQOQdSexzOhkU/s1600/bg-thumb.png) no-repeat 0 0;
    cursor: pointer;
    height: 26px;
    left: 137px;
    position: absolute;
    top: -3px;
    width: 26px;
    z-index: 200;
  }
  #rotatescroll .dot { /* the points indicating the position of each image */
    background: transparent url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgnQiUQd0nuHVEUnSw7egvwlbfxt2cn_3EJASkyjSQDmxeT85dgCTcs-Rsz5CHspkF1t5XhEBKyTQYLdDfZTVK9vSbThCFE0fu9firGpzsG1jCsDJzGS7JV50l8r0J8_vSwf2ykIBWzSk/s1600/bg-dot.png) no-repeat 0 0;
    display: none;
    height: 12px;
    left: 155px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 3px;
    width: 12px;
    z-index: 100;
  }
  #rotatescroll .dot span { /* are hidden by default */
    display: none;
  }
 #rotatescroll .viewport ul.overview li img {
   width: 100%;
   min-height: 260px;
   margin-top: 20px;
   padding:0;
   border:0;
 }
</style>
Screenshot
Step 6. Save the changes by clicking the Save Template button

And here's the HTML that has to be added to where we want to display the carousel. To add it inside a post, click the "New post" button on the left side of your dashboard and paste the below code in the "HTML" box of your post:
<div id="rotatescroll">
  <div class="viewport">
    <ul class="overview">
      <li><img src="imageURL" /></li>
      <li><img src="imageURL" /></li>
      <li><img src="imageURL" /></li>
      <li><img src="imageURL" /></li>
      <li><img src="imageURL" /></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div class="dot"></div>
  <div class="overlay"></div>
  <div class="thumb"></div>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function(){
$('#rotatescroll').tinycircleslider({
interval: true,
snaptodots: true
});
});
</script>
blogger template
Adding HTML inside a Blogger post

Replace the imageURL text with the URL of your images.

Some other options that could be added, separated by commas:
1) snaptodots: false if you want no dots to be shown when dragging them
2) hidedots: false if you want to display the internal points (by default is true)
3) intervaltime - is the time between slides (by default 3500)
4) radius - defines the size of the circle (by default is 140)

To add it to your sidebar, simply go to "Layout" > click the "Add a Gadget link" > from the popup window, choose "HTML/Javascript" and paste the code inside the empty box.

Minggu, 27 Oktober 2013

Turn off the lights with jQuery

For those who enjoy watching videos on the internet, this is a very useful script made with jQuery by Janko. And what this script does? It will turn off the lights for you, so that everything on the page will be fading to dark, except the video, and everything around the video will be less visible, in a way that nothing will distract you while watching it.

You can test it on the following demo blog - click the link that says "Turn off the lights" and the page will be darkened. To make the page elements active again, just click the "Turn on the lights" link:


How to add the "Turn off the Lights" Feature to Blogger/Blogspot 

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger account and click on your blog > go to "Template" and hit the "Edit HTML" button


Step 2. Click anywhere inside the code area and search for the following tag by pressing the CTRL + F keys (hit Enter to find it)
</head>

Step 3. After you found it, paste the below scripts just above it:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
$(document).ready(function(){
$("#lightsoff").css("height", $(document).height()).hide();
$(".lightSwitcher").click(function(){
$("#lightsoff").toggle();
if ($("#lightsoff").is(":hidden"))
$(this).html("Turn off the lights").removeClass("turnedOff");
else
$(this).html("Turn on the lights").addClass("turnedOff");
});
});
//]]>
</script>
Note: if you already have one version of jquery in the template, please remove the line in red.

Step 4. Now search for the following tag:
]]></b:skin>
Step 5. Just above ]]></b:skin> add the following CSS:
/* Turn off the lights
----------------------------------------------- */
#lightsVideo {
position:relative;
z-index:102;
}
#switch {
max-width:640px;
text-align:left;
position:relative;
height:25px;
display:block;
margin: 25px 0 0 60px;
}
.lightSwitcher {
position:absolute;
z-index:101;
background-image:url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGdlYdF3kFQEjggpiiSmeff1jZsqeOo5MJdUfZ2gkH2QGM5mqpwGpWuALTGRnPwiYgPij0YT5vbBvQ_hpb0CWvPo_BANnhGVXOUMnBbXTN4mzotJHgEEfYzA4N9z2Q8nUtey5aCZDTjNZ/s1600/lights-on.png);
background-repeat:no-repeat;
background-position:left;
padding: 0 0 0 20px;
outline:none;
text-decoration:none;
}
.lightSwitcher:hover {text-decoration:underline;}
.turnedOff {
color:#ffff00 !important;
background-image:url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuk_nF6jZJkhXNGQJFRzLKqp-Z60WlfgA76IYjoWBnoUfXuIb8AEnQBKodLldVYDaed4i5hiRh8r7LjW6Ffstt2BJffJKxwSMhge4oyQNWnbwJaF_pCJ6_FybuNRVi_yBVtwF01BV6c7C/s1600/lights-off.png);
}
#lightsoff {
background:#000;
opacity:0.9;
filter:alpha(opacity=90);
position:absolute;
left:0;
top:0;
width:100%;
z-index:100;
}
Step 6. Try to find this tag:
</body>
Just above the </body> tag, add this HTML code:
<div id='lightsoff'/>
Step 7. Click the "Save Template" button and that's it!

Now, wherever you put your video, either a post or a HTML/Javascript gadget, use this code:
<center>
<div id="switch"><a class="lightSwitcher" href="javascript:void(0);">Turn off the lights</a></div>
<div id="lightsVideo">
...Here goes the code of the video...
</div>
</center>
Add the code of your video instead of the blue text and "Save" or "Publish" your gadget / post. Now you can enjoy your videos with the lights off!

Remember that this trick uses jQuery and if you use another version of jQuery, you must check to have only one, otherwise it might now work.

Before/After Photo Effect with jQuery

If you have a design or makeup blog, or if you are using before and after image comparison, this script will surely be very useful for you. In this tutorial, you will see how to add the Before/After plugin, a script that works with jQuery to display two pictures dynamically for comparing them at the same time.

To see it in action, please click on the demo link from below - by dragging sideways the small bar, you'll see both images that are being compared:



Implementing this script is really easy. We just need jQuery, the Before/After script, and the two images to compare.

How to add Before/After Effect on Blogger Images

Step 1. Go to Template > Edit HTML and click anywhere inside the code area. Now press the CTRL + F keys and search for the following tag - hit Enter to find it:
</head>

Step 2. Right before </head> paste the following scripts:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://code.jquery.com/ui/1.10.3/jquery-ui.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/jquery.beforeafter.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script type='text/javascript'>
$(function(){
$(&#39;#beforeafter1&#39;).beforeAfter({showFullLinks : true});
});
</script>
Step 3. Click the Save template button to save your changes.

Note: if the above script doesn't work for you, add it above the </body> tag. Also, please see if you have added jQuery in your template (if you did so, then remove the line in green)

Step 3. To add it as a gadget - go to "Layout" > click on the "Add a gadget" link > choose "HTML/Javascript" option in the pop-up window and paste this code inside the empty box:
<div id='beforeafter1'>
<div><img alt='before' src='URL of the first image' width='500' height='291'/></div>
<div><img alt='after' src='URL of the second image' width='500' height='291'/></div>
</div>
Add the URL of the first image that is the "Before" image, and the URL of the second image that should be the "After" image. Also, don't forget to specify the width and height of each picture, so that they work on all browsers (see the part in orange and just add the height and width of your images).

If you want to add more images, you will need to change the ID of the container. In my example, the container is called beforeafter1, so you will need to change it to beforeafter2 and so on, although, you can choose any name as long as all are different.

Then, add another line, like the blue one from below, in the first code that you added in step 2:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://code.jquery.com/ui/1.10.3/jquery-ui.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/jquery.beforeafter.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script type='text/javascript'>
$(function(){
$(&#39;#beforeafter1&#39;).beforeAfter({showFullLinks : true});
$(&#39;#beforeafter2&#39;).beforeAfter({showFullLinks : true});
});
</script>
You can add as many before/after images as you want, as long ass all containers have a different ID and the corresponding lines are added in the script.

Below each image /photo container are the "Show only Before" and "Show only after" links that, once you click on them, will display the "before" or "after" picture. If you want to hide these links, then just change "true" to "false" in the first code (step 2) and they will not be displayed anymore.

Note: if you see white space around the drag icons, then search for this code in your template:
   <Group description="Images" selector=".main-inner">
     <Variable name="image.background.color" description="Background Color" type="color" default="#ffffff" value="#ffffff"/>
And change the #ffffff value to transparent. That's it!

Autor: Catch my fame

Spacegallery: image gallery/slideshow made with jQuery

There are many types of galleries for images that can be found on the internet, but we rarely find one displaying images so differently like this one. Those using Mac OS X will surely notice a lot of similarity with Time Machine and those who don't, I'm sure will enjoy this type of effect for viewing images.

image gallery with jQuery for blogger
SpaceGallery is a JQuery based slideshow / image gallery that performs overlaying in a visually appealing manner and provides a smooth fade out effect to images. This 3D image gallery lets you float through your pictures easily by enlarging them with an Apple-like animation.

To see the SpaceGallery slideshow in action, please visit this demo blog and click on the first image:


How to Add Spacegallery Image Slideshow to Blogger

To implement this gallery is very easy. Just follow the steps below:

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger account and select your blog. Next, go to Template and click the Edit HTML button:

Step 2. Click anywhere on the code area and search by using the CTRL + F keys for this tag
</head>

Step 3. Just before/above the </head> tag, paste the following scripts:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/SpaceGallery/eye.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/SpaceGallery/utils.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='http://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/SpaceGallery/spacegallery.js' type='text/javascript'/>

<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
(function($){
var initLayout = function() {
var hash = window.location.hash.replace('#', '');
var currentTab = $('ul.navigationTabs a')
.bind('click', showTab)
.filter('a[rel=' + hash + ']');
if (currentTab.size() == 0) {
currentTab = $('ul.navigationTabs a:first');
}
showTab.apply(currentTab.get(0));
$('#myGallery').spacegallery({loadingClass: 'loading'});
};

var showTab = function(e) {
var tabIndex = $('ul.navigationTabs a')
.removeClass('active')
.index(this);
$(this)
.addClass('active')
.blur();
$('div.tab')
.hide()
.eq(tabIndex)
.show();
};

EYE.register(initLayout, 'init');
})(jQuery)
//]]>
</script>
Note: if you have already jQuery in your template, please delete the line in red.

Step 4. Next, search (CTRL + F) for this tag:
]]></b:skin>
Step 5. Above the ]]></b:skin> tag, paste the following CSS style:
#myGallery {
width: 100%;
height: 400px;
}
#myGallery img {
border: 2px solid #52697E;
}
a.loading {
background: url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cF5mLh8RbHLyoH4PGZVg15gbu3L-U2Yq5qhdVUsFiBL5U-rCN_eAalizqe_5jmy6VZH48F9bhrGizs9eMmAXnwyOJ2auHLjk0WpvS0FPivaWGJ9oBy6azST0A_zW6cTSPjDGRMCR729K/s1600/ajax_small.gif) no-repeat center;
}
.spacegallery {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.spacegallery img {
position: absolute;
left: 50%;
}
.spacegallery a {
position: absolute;
z-index: 1000;
display: block;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
Step 6. Hit the Save template button to save the changes.

Step 7. Finally, go to Layout > Add a Gadget > HTML/Javascript and copy-paste the code below:
<div class="spacegallery" id="myGallery">
<img src="Image URL"/>
<img src="Image URL"/>
<img src="Image URL"/>
<img src="Image URL"/>
<img src="Image URL"/>
</div>
Replace the Image URL text with the image addresses that you want to appear on the gallery, considering that the last image is the first to be displayed.

If you want to add this slideshow inside a post, go to your dashboard and create a New Post, then paste the code in the HTML section.

That's it! Now, you can enjoy this simple image gallery on your blog and although, it has no display options or settings, it is without a doubt a gallery that will draw the attention of your readers.

Source: eyecon.ro

Sabtu, 26 Oktober 2013

How the modern world depends on encryption

How the modern world depends on encryption


Credit cards
 
Encryption helps to ensure that credit card transactions stay secure

 
Encryption makes the modern world go round. Every time you make a mobile phone call, buy something with a credit card in a shop or on the web, or even get cash from an ATM, encryption bestows upon that transaction the confidentiality and security to make it possible.

"If you consider electronic transactions and online payments, all those would not be possible without encryption," said Dr Mark Manulis, a senior lecturer in cryptography at the University of Surrey.

At its simplest encryption is all about transforming intelligible numbers or text, sounds and images into a stream of nonsense.

There are many, many ways to perform that transformation, some straightforward and some very complex. Most involve swapping letters for numbers and use maths to do the transformation. However, no matter which method is used the resulting scrambled data stream should give no hints about how it was encrypted.

During World War II, the Allies scored some notable victories against the Germans because their encryption systems did not sufficiently scramble messages. Rigorous mathematical analysis by Allied code crackers laid bare patterns hidden within the messages and used them to recreate the machine used to encrypt them.

Those codes revolved around the use of secret keys that were shared among those who needed to communicate securely. These are known as symmetric encryption systems and have a weakness in that everyone involved has to possess the same set of secret keys.

In the modern era, a need has arisen to communicate securely with people and organisations we do not know and with whom we cannot easily share secret keys, said Dr Manulis. This need has given rise to public-key cryptography. Despite the formidable name it encapsulates a simple idea.

Colossus valves Wartime code-cracking machines such as Colossus broke German encryption systems

Essentially, it allows anyone to send a message that only one person (or company or website or gadget) can unlock. It does this using two keys: one public, one private. The public key is used to lock a message. Anyone can get hold of that public key but once a message is locked with it, that message can only be opened with the corresponding private key.

Typically these keys are large numbers and the security of the system depends on the fact that some mathematical operations are easier than others.

For instance, it is far easier to multiply numbers together (public key and plain text message) to get a result than it is to start with that result (the scrambled message) and work backwards. Complicated mathematics guarantees that the right private key will unscramble a message.

Far harder, even for the fastest computer, is starting with that result (the scrambled message) and searching through all the possible combinations of numbers that could produce it.

"Because of the size of the keys is so huge its impossible for an attacker to search through the key space with the resources they usually have," he said. Such "brute force" attacks are pretty much doomed no matter how much computer power attackers bring to bear, he said

Typically the numbers used in these mathematical encryption systems are tens if not hundreds of digits long. This makes it impossible, to all intents and purposes, to search through all potential keys in a reasonable amount of time.

The web and many other modern communication systems employ a hybrid approach, said Dr Manulis, because public key encryption is not very computationally efficient compared to symmetric key encryption.

Supercomputer Even supercomputers would not break the strongest encryption algorithms

On the web, the relatively slower public key cryptography is used initially to establish a secure connection between you and a website. The symmetric system would be no good for this step because there is no way to securely swap the secret key.

However, with a secure channel in place, the faster symmetric system can be used to share a key and then scramble the data passing back and forth.

On mobiles, a similar system is used and encryption keys are held on a handset's sim card to help keep chatter scrambled.
Vulnerabilities
Attacks on these encryption systems take many forms, said Dr Manulis.

"You do not need to break the communication system if you have some spy software on the end point," he said.

In addition, weaknesses have been found in the software used to encapsulate them on computers and phones.

"The algorithms are mathematically proven," he said, " and if there's any problem then it usually comes in the implementation of the algorithm."

In addition, there have been suggestions that the NSA has subverted the process of creating encryption algorithms, to make them easier for it to break.

Official agencies can also force firms, be they websites or mobile operators, to surrender their private keys so they can eavesdrop on supposedly secure communications.

Some have sought to get make encryption more secure by using a technique known as end-to-end encryption.

This differs from more standard systems which can be vulnerable because their scrambling system is, in software terms, separate from the program used to create a message.

If attackers insert themselves between the message making software and the encryption system at either end of a conversation they will see information before it is scrambled.

End-to-end encryption closes this gap by having the message making software apply the scrambling directly. In addition, many of these systems run a closed network so messages never travel over the public internet and are only decrypted when they reach their intended recipient.

End-to-end encryption Some fear that sending data over public networks makes it more susceptible to surveillance
 

Top three qualities of a successful blogger

The qualities of a blogger should be attended at all times in order to become someone popular on the internet. A blogger should have plenty of ideas for creative writing, along with a truckload of motivation. The results sought will not come overnight and there's no guarantee that this will be easy.

These are the two things that you need in order to fulfill your dream of running a successful blog: a lot of exclusive content and readers' loyalty. In each case, time is required to develop the success. This is a process and not a short-term event.
qualities of a blogger

Related: How to Write SEO Optimized Blog Posts

Top Qualities To Become a Successful Blogger

Here are three qualities of a blogger who as a site administrator will need to have, if your goal is to manage a successful blog.

Patience

A successful blog is a product of time and effort and for this, you will need patience. As I said before, the results will not appear quickly overnight, so it is important to realize this from the start. If you are constantly trying to develop new and creative ideas for writing on your blog and, at the same time, you are worried whether you will see any results, this will only make things more difficult.

The building of a successful business online is a "long term" effort and you must decide if you accept this challenge or not. This is one the most important qualities of a blogger.

Credibility

Much of the traffic of any successful blog results from its unique content, as well as its credibility. In fact, the quality of what's in the site, will have a direct impact on what will become viral visitors that are coming to your platform. If you will provide quality content, people will talk about your blog, and once they do it, others may come to see what you have. It depends on you to publish useful and accurate information and your readers will do the rest.

Consistency

Maintaining a steady stream of creative writing ideas is vital to be able to constantly update the blog. The frequency of publication to a proper schedule is related to the amount of time you have available and your level of motivation. However, it is recommended to establish a sort of consistency, so that people can schedule their own visits accordingly. Just remember that the more often you write, the more people will visit, so their loyalty will grow faster and their referrals will be extended.

To become a popular blogger, it is important to have a healthy source of creative writing ideas, along with a lot of patience and motivation. Ultimately, it will be up to you, as a site administrator, to provide the three qualities of a blogger that we discussed above, who is searching tirelessly his goal of having a successful blog. In the end, your own motivation and patience will be the glue with which all the elements will be put together so that your dream will come true.

Jumat, 25 Oktober 2013

Cloud provider research, due diligence needed to maintain compliance

http://searchcompliance.techtarget.com/tip/Cloud-provider-research-due-diligence-needed-to-maintain-compliance?asrc=EM_ERU_24376772&utm_medium=EM&utm_source=ERU&utm_campaign=20131025_ERU%20Transmission%20for%2010/25/2013%20(UserUniverse:%20580888)_myka-reports@techtarget.com&src=5176213

Christine Parizo, Contributor

Organizations generate more data than ever before through applications, email and other computing tasks. Faced with flat IT budgets, companies are turning to the cloud for storage, software and infrastructure.
This is much to the chagrin of the compliance department, which wakes up in a cold sweat thinking about data security. Experts agree, however, that by conducting due diligence, companies can minimize their cloud-related risk and maintain compliance in the cloud.
"Your security teams have to satisfy themselves that what the cloud provider is doing on a routine basis meets or exceeds what they'd do on-premises," said John Howie, chief operating officer of the Cloud Security Alliance.
But enterprises are limited in how they can conduct this due diligence. For example, a cloud provider audit may not be possible because the provider doesn't want hordes of customers tromping through its data centers. Penetration testing could also shut down an enterprise's service because the cloud provider could view it as a legitimate attack, Howie said.

Because physical audits sometimes aren't possible, reputable cloud service providers should have certifications. In the United States, the two major certifications are ISO/IEC 27001:2005 and SOC 2. The ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification provides a definition for how to run an information security management system. It does not, however, say whether "you're particularly good at it, and it doesn't say that you have the controls in place [that] are actually working," Howie cautioned. "It just certifies that you have an information security system that understands these problems and is trying to improve."

The SOC 2 certification, which is the replacement for SAS 70 and is based on the audit standard AP 101, contains the five "SysTrust" principles developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants: confidentiality, integrity, availability, security and privacy, according to Howie.
"Privacy is a little bit of a misnomer, because it's not privacy of the customer's data," he said. Rather, it means the privacy of the cloud provider's customer, not the customers of the company that signs up for service.
To ensure the cloud provider's controls are adequate and working, SOC 2 requires an audit by a large firm. An SOC 2 report is then presented that contains detailed information about vulnerabilities and the environment as a whole. These details often make cloud providers hesitant to let customers see the results of SOC 2 reports, Howie said.

Ask providers relevant questions

Before choosing a cloud provider, companies need to ask prospective vendors some hard questions to ensure they'll stay on the right side of regulators. "It's about asking questions around what arrangements are going to be in place to protect your information … from the creation stage to the processing, the storage, the transmission and, of course, destruction," said Steve Durbin, global vice president of the Information Security Forum. Eventually, the contract with the provider will end, and organizations need to know what will happen to their data when that occurs, he added.
Other questions should include how secure the connection is, including whether a VPN is required to connect, and what the availability is, Durbin said. Companies also need to ask encryption-related questions, including whether the data needs to be encrypted, what facilities the cloud provider has to encrypt data and whether data should be encrypted before being transmitted to the cloud service, he added.
Physical security is also important, according to Mac McMillan, current chairman of the HIMSS Privacy and Security Policy Task Force and CEO of Austin, Texas-based IT security consulting firm CynergisTek. Questions should include how the cloud provider controls physical access and how systems are protected from other customers' data in colocation situations.
Finally, companies should check on the status of the cloud provider's insurance, McMillan said. For example, if there's a security breach, it's important to know if the provider will indemnify the customer and pay for the notifications, he said.

Beware the fine print during contract negotiations

The due diligence doesn't stop at the negotiating table. There is no one provision to include in the contract to maintain compliance in the cloud, but careful language can help limit liability, according to Robert Scott, managing partner at Southlake, Texas-based technology law firm Scott & Scott LLP.

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"If you outsource to a third-party cloud service provider to handle or store personally identifiable, financial or healthcare information that's regulated in any way, the law has a non-delegable duty that you can't just outsource these legal responsibilities," Scott said. Even changes to payment card industry compliance standards, which now apply to third-party services, do not absolve enterprises of maintaining regulatory compliance in the cloud, he said.
Enterprises need to ensure that their cloud services providers agree to be bound by the same regulations that they are, Scott said. For financial institutions, that means adhering to regulations such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, for example.
One thing to be wary of in contracts is provisions where the cloud services provider asks the enterprise to agree to limit data breach liability, Scott cautioned. "Such a provision could work to significantly limit the availability of insurance and/or the ability to recover for privacy-related claims that result from a data breach," he said.
Contracts are always negotiable, and any reasonable cloud provider will be willing to negotiate with a customer regarding legitimate regulatory compliance, data security and privacy concerns, Scott said. "They're not going to be a successful cloud service provider without being sensitive to customer concerns in those areas," he said.
About the author:
Christine Parizo is a freelance writer specializing in business and technology. She focuses on feature articles for a variety of technology- and business-focused publications, as well as case studies and white papers for business-to-business technology companies. Prior to launching her freelance career, Parizo was an assistant news editor for SearchCRM.
Let us know what you think about the story; email Ben Cole, associate editor. For more regulatory compliance news and updates throughout the week, follow us on Twitter @ITCompliance.
  

 
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