Cloud subscription
Virtual, networked work is essential for research, teaching and administration at ETH Zurich. Public cloud services offer suitable collaboration and communication solutions for this purpose.
However, with public cloud services, various questions arise, such as: what country is the data stored in? What legal rules apply, e.g., regarding data protection? How well is the data protected by the public cloud provider?
ETH Zurich offers various public cloud services based on the recommendations and specifications of the Federal Data Protection Officer and the Data Protection Officer of the Canton of Zurich and in consultation with the ETH Zurich Legal Service, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of ETH Zurich and the Chief IT Security Officer (CITSO) of IT Services. IT Services are authorised to centrally manage licences and the configuration of the public cloud solutions in order to make them available to members of ETH Zurich in a secure, legally unobjectionable and cost-efficient manner.
Ensuring the legal framework and compliance with data protection requirements has a higher priority than supposedly simple work in the cloud. For this reason, not all public cloud services and/or features are enabled in the public cloud service offered.
An important role is that of "information owners". They are responsible for their data and decide whether they want to outsource it to external cloud services, taking into account the applicable requirements of ETH (e.g., BOT, Secure Use of the Cloud, Protect Confidential Data – see links in Instructions / FAQ / How To). The decision to outsource ETH Zurich data is not the responsibility of ETH IT Services. They only provide access to external cloud services.
Public cloud collaboration tools have one core task: to enable or improve collaboration within a team or between users. Collaboration takes place independent of location and in real time. For example, several people can work on a document or presentation simultaneously.
Cloud services also offer other advantages such as flexibility in the use of resources and flexible IT resources (computers, storage).
When purchasing public cloud services via the IT Services IT Shop and observing the HK Newsletter Secure use of the cloud: When can confidential data be transferred to external cloud services?, it is ensured that all applicable legal requirements and framework conditions are complied with.
The public cloud services activated by the ITS Cloud Service Center can be used by all employees and students of ETH Zurich.
The basic range of cloud services is generally available free of charge. Any costs depend on the licences of the individual public cloud service providers and are displayed in the IT Shop when the service is ordered.
When employees purchase these paid services, they need to specify the cost centre to be charged when placing their order in the IT Shop. The service ordered will be activated after approval of the costs by the cost centre manager.
When students order paid services, payment must be made by credit card when the order is placed in the IT Shop.
Employees and students purchase the public cloud services offered in the IT Shop.
Important information on the use of public cloud services:
- Secure use of the cloud: When can confidential data be transferred to external cloud services?
- Protecting confidential data: the new classification system at ETH
- Support page and things to know about Microsoft 365 and Teams
- Information about Google Workspace
Questions about public cloud services and activated features:
- IT Services Service Desk ITS Service Desk
- Cloud products used at ETH Zurich (in German)
- Cloud Service Center Blog
Ordering public cloud services:
- IT Services IT Shop – IT Shop