In the cloud computing space, it’s important to understand that using a cloud service provider (CSP) isn’t a “set it and forget it” relationship. The shared responsibility model clearly divides security, compliance, and operational tasks between CSPs and the organizations that use their services. However, nothing solidifies these concepts like seeing them in real-world examples. This article explores three brief case studies—each drawn from a different cloud service model (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS)—to highlight how responsibilities shift across the spectrum.