Cloud computing is a very promising
technology that helps companies reduce operating costs while increasing
efficiency. The most beneficial features of using cloud computing include fast
and easy deployment, the pay-per-use model, a reduction of in-house IT costs. Even though cloud computing is heavily used
today, security for cloud computing has still been an issue and still needs modifications.
In order to promote the widespread use
of cloud computing, security issues must be addressed. The main cloud security
issues are categorized as traditional and new cloud security challenges. The traditional
security challenge of authentication and authorization applications for
enterprises need to be cater more to work with a cloud environment. The availability
of cloud service providers is also a big concern, since if the cloud service is
down it can affect customers. Cloud providers using hypervisor and virtual
machines may also have vulnerabilities. A compromise of a virtual machine can
affect all users on the same physical server. Cloud providers need to
reconsider traditional security concerns from different perspectives.
The most cloud security challenge
for end-users as they utilize the cloud services and store their data is about
privacy and user data confidentiality. Users want to know where their data is
stored and who is in control of that information in addition to the owners. They
also want to know that their information is not accessed and used illegally. Cloud
computing moves most of the IT infrastructure and data storage to off-premises
third-party providers. Due to this scheme the cloud faces two important
consequences: a) Data owners have only limited control over the IT
infrastructure, therefore data owners must establish a mechanism to mandate the
enforcement of their security policies to ensure data confidentiality and
integrity. b) Cloud service providers have excessive privileges, allowing them
extensive control and ability to modify users IT systems and data.
There are many challenges in cloud computing, most dealing
with security issues. As the cloud is more used in enterprises now and regular
network users these challenges must be accommodated for and be fixed. To read
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