This study seeks to address the limited availability of studies regarding data security and privacyperceptions and attitudes, from the perspective of IT professionals and general users in thecontext of cloud computing. To address this problem, this study will be exploring theperceptions and attitudes of IT professionals and general users, additionally examining theeffects of trust in the cloud computing providers has for cloud adoption and continued use ofcloud services. To gather data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants.The interviews were transcribed and analysed. Five main themes emerged from the data:Familiarity and Usage of Cloud Services; Trust and Decision-Making Factors; Security andPrivacy Concerns; Regulation and Oversight; Education and Awareness.These themes provided insights into how these factors influence the behaviour of ITprofessionals and general users in the context of cloud computing, they allowed furtherexamination of the relationship between trust in cloud service providers and the adoption andcontinuation of use of cloud computing services, contributing to a better understanding offactors that affect the level of influence trust has on adoption and continuation of use.The study extends the existing literature on perceived data security and privacy implications ofcloud computing. The findings can help cloud service providers improve their communicationand transparency efforts and can help guide policymakers and regulators to develop moreeffective strategies to enhance data security and privacy in cloud computing