Cloud Computing Research Question and Experimental Design
Develop a research question that addresses one of the unknowns you identified in Part I of the literature review and sketch a quantitative or qualitative study that can answer the question about what is unknown and contribute to theory. Draw on the additional resources for this course for guidance in understanding the concepts (e.g., internal validity, threats to validity, and operationalization) needed to address this question.
After a thorough review of the prevailing research and literature on the adoption and implementation of cloud computing technology, it is clear that the base of knowledge on this emerging field is continually expanding. A number of critical questions are still left unanswered, however, as is befitting an innovation which was only recently made available for public and private use. Namely, what are the implications for widespread adoption of cloud computing on the overall information security management industry, and how can the numerous security deficiencies inherent to cloud computing, risk factors which have been identified through years of rigorously applied research, be successfully anticipated and mitigated before major damage is inflicted? In order to successfully ascertain an answer to the question stated above, it is necessary to design a quantitative study which is capable of measuring the security risks associated with cloud computing in relation to similar technological advancements adopted and implemented in the past. The following outline is intended to provide a broad sketch of this eventual research project, by establishing a methodological framework through which subsequent studies may be guided.
A. The research purpose
The purpose of this research proposal is to identify the various risk factors and security concerns associated with the adoption and implementation of cloud computing technology, while applying quantitative methodology to measure the relative level of risk inherent to each risk factor when compared to previous iterations of advanced computing technology. The use of electronic mail for internal communication during the early 1990s, the advent of online commercial activity in 1997, and the development of wireless networks to facilitate online interaction will be introduced and contrasted with cloud computing, before each phenomenon is subjected to a rigorous literature review to determine the potential security risks envisioned during their initial adoption. With comparable risk factors successfully identified, the research focus will then be shifted to a precise analysis of each risk factor's actual rate of occurrence, followed by an examination of the various preventative measures, security techniques and other methods used to anticipate and mitigate these risk factors. To obtain usable data contemporary to the study, a survey-based questionnaire has been designed in an effort to develop an accurate reflection of technological innovation and implementation within the tech industry. The survey will be submitted to the information security departments of 150 major technology firms. Finally, broader conclusions will then be extrapolated from the available data, in an effort to determine whether or not the array of potential risks envisioned by experts on cloud computing represent legitimate concerns or simply a recycled amalgamation of commonly voiced concerns put forth whenever a fundamental shift in the technological realm takes place.
B. type of design and elements of the design (e.g., sample, the type of data you need to collect and how you will collect it, data analysis)
To obtain the data necessary for this study, a questionnaire-based survey will be sent to the information security management department heads of 150 technology firms, which have been in continuous operation for at least 25 years, throughout North America, Europe and Asia. This survey will consist of a total of 30 questions, with a randomized set of 20 questions sent to a particular company in an effort to lend independence to the compiled data, and each question will be designed specifically to assess the information security management protocol employed by each firm. With a sample size of this nature, the number of respondents is expected to range from 80 to 120, and considering the specialized nature of the field this sample size is large enough to provide sufficient data for the extrapolation of wider conclusions. The questionnaire will include questions regarding the targeted measures used by each firm to effect efficient and effective IT security measures, while also assessing the various risk factors identified by information security officers throughout recent eras of technological innovation. The data gathered will then be subjected to logistic analysis to determine the weighted value of each risk factor linked to cloud computing systems used by major organizations. This analysis is intended to demonstrate the relative risk of each risk factor currently associated with cloud computing, by measuring...
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