Malcolm Turnbull issues cloud computing guides for small business

Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has released a series of guides for small businesses looking to use cloud-based services.

The guides, available from the Department of Communications website, cover common cloud computing myths, questions SMEs should ask cloud providers, a privacy factsheet and legal tips.

Alongside the new small business guides, the Department of Communications has released an overview of government regulations covering cloud computing. 

The overview, dubbed the “National Cloud Computing Regulatory Stock Take”, runs through the key areas where federal laws regulate aspects of cloud computing.

Key areas covered by the document include competition law, copyright, contract law, consumer law, data protection, privacy regulations, cybersecurity laws, government cloud procurement laws and law enforcement access to the cloud.

In a statement, the government says it is currently looking for feedback by industry, consumer stakeholders or the public at large, particularly on areas where “regulation in this space is overly complex or burdensome”.

The new guides follow the release of the federal government’s national cloud computing strategy last year, as well as the department of finance’s procurement guidelines for cloud services.