Abstract: Cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems promise simplified operations and increased efficiency. However, their acceptance in Kenyan universities is still in its initial stage of implementation due to financial limitations, legacy system incompatibilities, and a lack of specialized expertise. Additionally, integrating ERPs with cloud services presents complex security challenges. The study highlighted widespread concerns regarding data breaches, unauthorized access, and compliance with Kenyan data protection laws, as well as the Data Act of 2019. The study found a substantial security-usability trade-off, where the need to maintain strong data protection conflicts with the demand for increased functionality through cloud integration. This study proposed the Adaptive Trust Model in response to these difficulties and with direct input from the empirical results. This paradigm offers Kenyan universities a safe and contextually appropriate framework for combining cloud services and ERPs. The development of this model is crucial, as the findings indicated the inadequacy of generic security solutions in addressing the unique infrastructural and regulatory landscape of Kenyan universities. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to analyze past contributions and contextualize the study's findings. Cluster sampling was employed to select a representative sample of universities, and data analysis was performed using R software, facilitating both quantitative and qualitative insights.
Keywords: ERP, cloud computing, secure integration, Kenyan universities, data protection, Adaptive Trust Model, digital transformation.
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DOI:
10.17148/IJARCCE.2025.14672
