---
name: cloud-object-storage-cos-responsibilities
title: "Your responsibilities when using\_IBM Cloud Object Storage"
description: Learn about the management responsibilities and terms and conditions that you have when you use IBM Cloud® Object Storage. For overall terms of use, see Cloud Services terms.
last-updated: 2024-04-07
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-object-storage?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Your responsibilities when using IBM Cloud Object Storage
{: #responsibilities}

Learn about the management responsibilities and terms and conditions that you have when you use IBM Cloud® Object Storage. For overall terms of use, see [Cloud Services terms](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/overview?topic=overview-terms&format=markdown).
{: shortdesc}



## Operational responsibilities
{: #responsibilities-operational}

**IBM responsibilities**

- Maintaining SLAs as stated in IBM Cloud Object Storage Service Description.
- Ensure client gets appropriate notifications regarding availability and downtime of its resources.
- Monitor service performance related metrics such as network, storage, and compute capacities.
- Monitor and manage service health and availability.

**Your responsibilities**

- Ensuring data back-ups if necessary.
- Mitigating potential accidental deletion of data. If applicable the client should store archive data in buckets configured with a data retention policy to help address data loss due to accidental deletion. IBM is unable to “un-delete” data.
- Monitor and manage non-IBM network resources to ensure appropriate access to IBM Cloud service endpoints including capacity and availability.
- Provisioning Object Storage buckets with the appropriate resiliency option, storage class, data locality, and optional configurations necessary for the specific workload and use case. 

## Managing infrastructure and the cloud environment
{: #responsibilities-infrastructure}

**IBM responsibilities**

- Deployment, provisioning, managing IBM Cloud Object Storage resources offered to clients.
- Ensuring availability of adequate resources to allow for scaling of client resources for client usage requirements.
- All physical and environmental controls.

**Your responsibilities**

- Ensure proper network access and capacity is available and can reach the designated Object Storage service endpoints. (private or public).
- Ensure applications can interact with the COS S3 API either via native support or with the addition of a hardware or software gateway solution.

## Security
{: #responsibilities-security}

**IBM responsibilities**

- Security and monitoring of the environment of IBM data center security guidelines.
- Encrypting client data when at-rest and in-transit between different IBM Cloud data center locations as part of resiliency options offered to clients.
- Continuous monitoring of resources to check for vulnerabilities and security breaches.

**Your responsibilities**

- Client controls access to IBM Cloud Object Storage provisioned resources and is responsible for ensuring access to client data is only provided to appropriate resources within the client organization.
- After retrieving data from IBM hosted Object Storage, client takes full responsibility to ensure the security and privacy of any local copies maintained.
- If applicable, manage customer provided encryption keys via S3 API or through IBM hosted key management services.
- Scanning of user data for viruses, malware, etc prior to uploading objects to the IBM Storage platform.

## Compliance
{: #responsibilities-compliance}

**IBM responsibilities**

- IBM Cloud Object Storage to maintain controls commensurate with the compliance certifications/attestations as stated in official data sheets.

**Your responsibilities**

- Client responsibility to ensure and seek appropriate legal guidance in order to validate its compliance with pertinent industry compliance certifications and regulations.
- Client to ensure its use of Object Storage resources are inline with the terms and conditions set forth in the IBM Cloud Service Description and any other associated transaction documents.