Abstract: “There is increasing use of the public cloud by governments; however, this use is for non-critical systems and non-sensitive data. The potential that the public cloud has for government use lies not only in the well-known benefits of cost and scalability, but also as a more permanent solution for providing e-services to citizens and as a solution for an advanced form of digital continuity whereby in the case of a national crisis, the government can continue to function in the public cloud on an indefinite basis. To take advantage of the public cloud in this way it becomes necessary for governments to place sensitive data and critical systems in the public cloud, which they are reluctant to do because of security concerns. Towards a solution to this issue, this study examines the frameworks, standards and certification schemes (FSCs) that inform governments’ approach to adopting the public cloud. The study focuses on the extent to which they are suitable for the identification of issues”

Keywords: government, public cloud, senstive data, digital continuity, cloud standards