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Cloud Computing · Foundational

Cloud Service Provider (CSP)

Organization that offers cloud computing services such as IaaS, PaaS or SaaS to customers.

Definition

A cloud service provider makes cloud services available to cloud service customers and is responsible for operating the underlying infrastructure, meeting SLAs and maintaining the controls it attests to in audits. ISO/IEC 17788 and NIST SP 500-292 define the provider as one of several cloud roles.

Example

AWS acts as the CSP for a company that hosts its databases on Amazon RDS.

Exam tip

Customers verify a CSP's controls through third-party reports such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001 rather than performing their own data center audits.

Related terms