The Owner of Data Stored in an External Cloud

D.

In the context of IT governance, the term "data owner" refers to the individual or group of individuals who have the responsibility and authority to make decisions about how data is collected, used, and protected within an organization. The data owner is also accountable for ensuring that the data is used in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

When it comes to data stored in an external cloud, the ownership of the data can be a bit more complicated. In general, the organization that creates or collects the data is still considered the owner of the data, even if it is stored in a cloud environment managed by a third-party provider.

With that in mind, let's consider the answer choices:

A. The contract manager who monitors the security of the cloud provider The contract manager may have some responsibility for ensuring the security of the data stored in the cloud, but they are not necessarily the data owner. Their role is more focused on managing the contractual relationship with the cloud provider.

B. The vendor who submits the data to the organization via online forms The vendor who submits the data to the organization is not typically considered the data owner. They are simply providing data to the organization for a specific purpose.

C. The business leader who is most impacted by the loss of data The business leader who is most impacted by the loss of data may have a strong interest in the data, but they are not necessarily the data owner. Ownership is typically determined by who created or collected the data, not by who has the most interest in it.

D. The risk manager who is responsible for protecting data stored in the cloud. The risk manager may be responsible for protecting the data stored in the cloud, but they are not necessarily the data owner. Their role is focused on risk management and ensuring that appropriate controls are in place to protect the data.

Based on the above, the BEST answer would be C, but it is important to note that this answer is not ideal. Ideally, the enterprise data policy should clearly define who the data owner is for all types of data, including data stored in the cloud. This can help avoid confusion and ensure that all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to managing the data.