Critical Infrastructure in the Multi-Cloud Strategy: Use of Cloud Computing in SMEs

TL;DR

This paper investigates how small and medium enterprises utilize cloud computing for critical infrastructure, highlighting deployment practices, associated risks, and implications for policy and decision-making.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of cloud computing adoption in SMEs' critical infrastructure, including deployment models and risk considerations, based on a comprehensive literature survey.

Findings

SMEs are increasingly deploying cloud solutions in critical infrastructure.

Risks are involved in cloud adoption for SMEs.

High levels of cloud deployment are observed among SMEs.

Abstract

Cloud computing enables cost-effective on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine and identifying the use of Cloud computing in the critical infrastructure domain among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The data for this study were gathered from a survey of different academic, industry, governmental and online literature related to the use of Cloud computing in SMEs. The result revealed that there are risks involved in the use of Cloud computing, SMEs are deploying Cloud computing using different deployment models and reaching a high level of deployment within the critical infrastructure. The research findings are useful for SMEs that are planning or are in the use of Cloud computing, as well as for SMEs policymakers and business support community that engaged with Cloud computing initiatives.