Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud offering

DISSERTATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1
1.1 Background............................................................................................................................1
1.2 Aim........................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Objectives..............................................................................................................................2
1.4 Research Questions................................................................................................................2
1.5 Work done and Results..........................................................................................................3
1.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................4
1.7 Structure of the Report...........................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................4
2.1 Overview................................................................................................................................4
Theme 1 Importance of Cloud Computing and different kinds of cloud computing services....4
Theme 2 Overview of Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud offering................................................6
Theme 3 Importance of DaaS in Higher education.....................................................................8
Theme 4 Challenges and vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service cloud offering and
their impact on organizations.....................................................................................................11
Theme 5 Ways in which vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud
offering can be reduced.............................................................................................................13
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................15
3.1 Overview..............................................................................................................................15
3.2 Research type.......................................................................................................................15
3.3 Research design...................................................................................................................16
3.4 Research approach...............................................................................................................17
3.5 Research philosophy............................................................................................................17
3.6 Data collection.....................................................................................................................18
3.7 Literature search strategy.....................................................................................................18
3.7.1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria........................................................................................18
3.8 Ethical considerations..........................................................................................................20
3.9 Research limitations.............................................................................................................20
3.10 Reliability and validity......................................................................................................21

CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS................................................................................21
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................26
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................26
5.2 Recommendations................................................................................................................28
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................31
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................34
PROPOSAL...................................................................................................................................34
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................34
Background................................................................................................................................34
Aim............................................................................................................................................35
Objectives..................................................................................................................................35
Research questions.....................................................................................................................35
LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................................36
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................39
PROJECT PLAN (GANTT CHART)...........................................................................................42

Title- Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud offering
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 introduction
In recently, Cloud computing is one of the modern technology that can consider as
unprecedented pace. There is already use in the various number of organizations moving their
workload to cloud. A various kind of research is being conducted by researcher to examine the
importance of DaaS (Data as a service) cloud application. Cloud computing can be defined as
processes in which consider as model for enabling its ubiquitous convenient, on demand network
which can easily accesses to shared pool. These are already configurable computing resource
includes storage applications, networks, service etc. DaaS appears as computational paradigm
and distribution architecture. Its primary objective is to maintain security aspects in which
quickly storage large amount or data or information. Therefore, it become easier for utilising the
resources as service and delivered over internet. Cloud application is basically enhancing the
collaboration, scalability, availability and ability to adapt as fluctuations on the basis of demand.
Although there are various kind of benefits, advantage to adopt cloud services, also some
significant barriers to adoption. Sometimes, it is representing as relatively new computing model
and deal of uncertainty about security at every levels. As moving the critical applications and
other sensitive information to public cloud environments which become consider as great
concern for corporation that are beyond their actual data centre’s network under their control. It
must ensure that individual people will continue to adopt all kind of security aspects.
1.2 Study rationale
Emerging technologies have brought various kinds of changes within education system.
This technology advancement has helped in bringing transformation within education system
digitally. This digital transformation has brought various kinds of changes of universities or
colleges and for students as well in many different ways (Bond and et. al., 2018). Digital
transformation has introduced various kinds of new technologies and services that can be used by
colleges and students and changed ways in which students and exams were conducted. Cloud
computing is a part of digital transformation that has occurred in higher education. It has worked
as a revolution for higher education. There are various kinds of cloud- based services that are
being frequently used by students because of which today education and learning not limited to
textbooks and notebooks only. One of the most important cloud- based service which is used in
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higher education is DaaS Data as a Service (Rof, Bikfalvi and Marquès, 2020). This Data as a
Service is not only used in education industry but it is used by various organizations operating in
different sector. This service has made it much easier for universities and students to store and
share information/ data and knowledge with others easily. But there are various kinds of
vulnerabilities that are associated Data as a Service Cloud offering.
This dissertation will be focusing upon identifying main vulnerabilities associated with
Data as a Service. The Rationale of this study is to identify the importance of DaaS (Data-as-a-
service) within higher education, able to examine the positive aspects which help for developing
as world class education system. In order to provide all kind of essential study materials by using
cloud services.
1.2 Aim
This dissertation has majorly focused upon a specific cloud offering which is Data as a
service (DaaS). Main aim that has been focused upon in this dissertation is “To analyse
vulnerabilities associated with Cloud offering of Data as a Service (DaaS)”.
1.3 Objectives
Major research objectives that have been focused upon in this dissertation are:
 To analyse importance of cloud computing
 To analyse different kinds of cloud computing services
 To evaluate ways in which Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud offering is used.
 To analyse importance of DaaS in Higher education
 To evaluate vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service cloud offering and their impact
on organizations.
 To identify ways in which vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud
offering can be reduced.
 To recommend appropriate ways though which usage of Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud
offering can be increased and vulnerabilities associated with it can be reduced.
 To identify gaps in this research and suggest future results.
1.4 Research Questions
Major research questions that this dissertation has answered are as follows:
 What are the importance of cloud computing in higher education system?
 What are different kinds of cloud computing services?
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 How could identify the facilities offers by Data as a Service (DaaS)?
 What are various kind of vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service cloud offering and
impact on organizations?
 What are different ways in which vulnerabilities associated with Data as a Service (DaaS)
Cloud offering can be reduced?
 What are suggested advice that can help to reduce the vulnerabilities in the cloud computing
(Data as a Service (DaaS) Cloud?
1.5 Work done and Results
In this research secondary data analysis has been done for successfully achieving main
aim and objectives. In this dissertation importance of digital transformation in higher education
has been discussed. Ways in which new and advance digital technology in higher education is
being used and transforming higher education has also been discussed briefly. Then, in this
dissertation a brief overview of importance of cloud computing and different kinds of services
offered by cloud services providers has been discussed.
All the secondary data has been collected from different sources though articles,
journals, books, online portals and many more and using appropriate literature search strategy
data was collected. It help for researcher to get more detailed information regarding DaaS as
cloud service. Sometimes, it acquire all essential information through secondary analysis.
Different articles, books and journals have been given brief idea about the research topic or
subject. The most important thing is that when secondary analysis support to collect, store large
information but needs to be filtered accordingly. Through this way, it can gain more insight view
of research study while identifying relevant information or data. That’s why, it can support for
further doing research analysis. Sometimes, pre-existing theories and other relevant materials
have been included in the data collection, storage. In order to identify vulnerabilities associated
with Cloud offering of Data as a Service using exploratory research design method required data
has been collected and analysed using thematic data analysis method.
Results of this dissertation has further been used to identify and recommend ways in
which vulnerabilities associated with Cloud offering of Data as a Service can be reduced and can
be effectively used in higher education. Moreover, vulnerabilities, threats are associated with
cloud computing at the time of service. Therefore, it should need to collect more information or
data in which help to further generating accurate result or outcome.
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From chapter 4- discussion and findings it has bene identified that there are various kinds of
security issues or vulnerabilities that are associated with Cloud offering of Data as a Service in
higher education. Discussion clearly explains that it is important for organizations to focus upon
identifying and implementing ways though which these restrictions can be reduced so that it can
be used in an appropriate manner.
1.7 Structure of the Report
This Dissertation consist of five main chapters.
Chapter 1: Introduction- In this chapter main aim and objectives required to be achieved will be
discussed and a brief background and overview of research topic will also be provided.
Chapter 2: Literature Review- In this chapter various sources of secondary data have been
reviewed in order to develop a base for the research and collect required information to be
analysed in order to answer main research questions.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology- This chapter helps in identifying main research methods that
are used in this dissertation with reason because of which those methods have been used.
Chapter 4: Discussion of Findings- In this chapter analysis of secondary data collected is done
though thematic data analysis method.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations- This chapter concludes final results of dissertation
that have been identified and then on the basis of those results final recommendations to
overcome those vulnerabilities have been identified.
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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Overview
This literature review will focus upon reviewing all the secondary data collected from
different sources in an appropriate manner. This literature review will help in understanding
main research topic in a proper and accurate manner and will further help in gaining
understanding of cloud computing, its services in a proper manner.
It has been summarised about the research gaps related the Data as a Service, ways in
which it is used and different challenges and vulnerabilities associated with this service in a
proper and effective manner.
Theme 1 different kinds of cloud computing services
According to the view of Abdel-Basset, Mohamed and Chang, (2018) Cloud computing
is one of the most commonly used advance digital technology which is being used by
organizations today. It helps in facilitating easy access to data and application any time for users
regardless of their location through internet connectivity. It provides different kinds of scalable
computing resources to organizations at an appropriate cost which makes it much easier for users
to store or access unlimited data or work on applications any time as per their need and
requirement. Today cloud computing has become extremely important for different kinds of
business organizations due to its increasing usage and benefits that it provides to its issuers.
Cloud computing technology has made it much easier for organizations to achieve their main
business objectives in an appropriate manner.
As per the view of He and et. al., (2016) Cloud computing is important in education
industry as well especially for higher education. It has made it much easier for institutes that
provide higher education to students to provide or offer educational services by using different
kinds of cloud services to students easily. They can easily make education resources or study
materials easily available to students regardless of student’s location. These resources and
materials can be accessed by students any time of the day. Now educational institutes can easily
manage large amount of data with higher security in lower or reduced cost. In current pandemic
situation of Coronavirus cloud computing services for higher education institutes have plays a
vital role. Due to these cloud computing services, institutes were easily able to provide required
study material to students, they were able to conduct exams online and save required data on
cloud with higher security. Students were not only able to access required study materials but
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