Paper title:
Government Cloud Computing and National Security
Authors:
Hedaia-t-Allah Nabil Abd Al Ghaffar
My summary of the content of the paper:
This paper addressed a very good topic. It is relevant as well as current since it addresses a serious issue most governments are dealing with. The paper dealt with the main definition clarification and then aimed to draw a conclusion between those definitions as well as the link to national security as it relates to governments’ decisions to move to cloud computing. Furthermore, an evaluation was done to assess the current challenges related to cloud computing.
- Quality of research
Is the research question or objective clearly stated?
No, there is an absence of a defined research question.
Is the research question interesting and important?
No there is no explicit reference to a research question. However, if the research question is related to cloud computing, then a possible research question addressing the topic can be found on page 4; “Can government cloud computing affect national security”? If used in this stated context it would have been a much better paper. This research question is a very important one due to the nature of the topics as well as its relation to Information Systems, Information Security, and Cyber Security. Linking it up to national security makes it very important and therefore worth the read.
Is the work original?
This paper is very original and an important topic since it relates to relevant areas within Information Systems.
Is the background research clear and relevant?
The background is very clear since it refers to a relevant topic.
Are there any ethical problems?
There do not seem to be any ethical concerns throughout the paper.
- The Research Methodology
Summarize the research method?
The authors did a Literature review and evaluated the definition of Information Security, Cyber Security, and National Security as well as making a link between these concepts and how they relate to cloud computing.
Does the research method seem appropriate for the research question?
Due to the nature of the topic, it is appropriate since no entity will share their secrets related to Information – and Cyber Security openly during surveys.
Are the methods adequately described?
No. There is no explanation providing a detailed approach or strategy regarding the thinking pattern and the bases behind the literature search as it pertains to the methodology. This implies which search words were used, which libraries and subject libraries were consulted, bibliographies and literature works were researched as an example.
Were the analyses done correctly?
There were no analyses performed. Opportunity to perform a type of data analysis since on page 7 a statement is made that “USA comes on top of countries that consider cyber threats as potential national security threats…” but, there is no reference made to any data that supports this statement.
Are the conclusions supported by the data?
No. The conclusion is not well written and does not address what was done. There is also a lack in addressing current research gaps that they found.
- Findings and Discussions
Is the paper logically presented?
The paper reads very difficult and is difficult to follow as well due to the sequencing. There are no defined topics that can be followed to establish a thinking pattern or strategy followed to arrive at the conclusion.
Does the data adequately support the research question?
This paper does not contain any reference to data and the reader is left to draw conclusions from the literature review performed by the authors as it surfaces as citations. Furthermore, the reader must put that in context with the research aim which is a bit obscure.
Does the discussion link back to the Research Question and key literature?
No, since it is difficult to follow.
- Additional Notes
Additional notes on the paper
The paper addresses an agreed “hot topic”. The issue of governments moving into the technologically advanced realm of cloud computing as well as everything that relates to it. The expectation was created that there would be an evaluation of the terms as stated, Information Security, Cyber Security, and National Security as well as how it relates to cloud computing. The authors address some of these expectations but, there are gaps. One gap that exists is that there is no link drawn to what different governments are currently doing. Do they include these aspects into their consideration when evaluating the transition to cloud computing as an example? Also, there is very little data available to the reader to consume in relation to what is being discussed in the paper.
Identify any links to other work discussed in Information Systems’ sessions.
Digital Transformation; Information Systems; Architecture. I would have like to see a Theoretical view of what an e-Government system is expected to look like with some of the Security aspects considered.
Where can this article be found?
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/REPS-09-2019-0125/full/html