advantages of i cloud

GLS 471

11/04/2015

Professor: Dr.Linnea Micciulla

Cloud Computing

Thesis Statement: Addressing the numerous security threats of cloud computing systems affecting many organizations today requires the introduction of suitable countermeasures for the security issues.

       I.         Introduction

A.    Organizational Cloud Computing

1.     Definition of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a marketing term used to refer to communication services, web-based application, and data storage. A data center in cloud computing holds and protects the information that end-users could have stored on their PCs traditionally. The storing of the data on the behalf of the end users raise several concerns in regard to the protection of privacy as the users must outsource such (information) (Jan Capek, 2012).

2.     Security Aspects

a)    Privacy/Confidentiality

In matters of security within the cloud computing environment, only the authorized parties have access to the very vital and sensitive information that concerns the cloud. The private information held in the data stored in those internet servers is secured from the public. This implies that there is a proper access control within the cloud system (Fu Xie et al., 2015).

b)    Availability

The data availability sub-factor deals with constant availability of the high-capacity data from the cloud store. This is guaranteed by the efficient transmission of data between the servers, authentication of the legitimate personnel to access the cloud system (Fu Xie et al., 2015).

B. Security Challenges

Security concerns regarding cloud environment become intense due to the presence of external control systems over the qualities that make an organization. The possibility of their mismanagement also defines the intensity of the security concerns (Velmuruganl et al, 2015).

1)    Cloud Security Concerns

a)    Governance loss

In this, the consumer allows the cloud provider to have the total control over the services and this may affect the security of the system. The cloud Service-Level Agreement (SLA) may also not have the necessary measures it takes to provide quality control thus leaving gaps of insecurity (Rohit et al., 2014).

a) Responsibility Ambiguity

Responsibilities between the two parties depend on the cloud computing model used. The two need to be clear on which party to perform which duty for them to maintain a secure system cloud environment (Rohit et al., 2014).

 b) Isolation Failure and Malicious Behavior

The presence of many tenants is a problem when it comes to differentiating tasks between them. Failure could occur to one tenant, but separation from the several of them could be a hectic task  (Rohit et al., 2014).

C. Security Countermeasures within the Cloud Environment

In order to maintain an effective and secure cloud computing system, the consumer and the provider need to work together. Otherwise, an insecure system leads to higher than usual costs and also constant data losses within the system, which both have negative effects to the organization (Su-Hyun Kim and Im-Yeong Lee 2015).

 1.     Securing the server

Several steps are involved in achieving this within an organization. The entire organization is fitted with a system that has the capability to detect intruders of the cloud system. A perfect example is the SQL injection (Su-Hyun Kim and Im-Yeong Lee 2015).

2.     Securing the transmission

Data transmission is maintained at a secure state through the processes of tunneling and virtual circuit employment.

  3.     Securing the client

a)    Effective Governance, Risk and Compliance Processes

It is essential for an organization to develop security policies that govern the cloud servers, providers, and the consumers, with the aim of protecting the rational property they own as well as its IT assets. The development of these policies is owed to the analyzes of risk occurrence in the organization and the effects such risks could cause to the company assets (Su-Hyun Kim and Im-Yeong Lee 2015).

b)     Management of People, Roles, and Identities

It is the duty of the consumers to ensure that the cloud provider is secured with processes that ensure that only the legitimate and authorized persons have access to the cloud system of the organization (Su-Hyun Kim and Im-Yeong Lee 2015). 

Conclusion

The task of ensuring sufficient security of data stored within the cloud system of an organization requires both the cloud provider and the consumer. The two parties ought to work together to maintain a secure cloud environment free of data access, loss, and theft from malicious internal as well as internal users. The security of the cloud system can be enhanced through adding more features in the transmission channel, the server side and the client side while keeping focus on each security aspect (Sanyak and Naik, 2013).

References

· Bento Alberto M., and Aggarwal, A. (2013). Cloud Computing Service and Deployment

Models: Layers and Management. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference, Print.

· Čapek, J. (2012). CLOUD COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SECURITY. Scientific Papers Of The University Of Pardubice. Series D, Faculty Of Economics & Administration, 18(24), 23-30.

· Fu, X., Fangai, L., & Xuexue, G. (2014). Research on security issues of privacy data under the Cloud. Journal of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Research, 6(7), 738.

· Sugata, S., & Priyanka, N. (2013). INCREASING SECURITY IN CLOUD ENVIRONMENT. Annals of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara - International Journal Of Engineering, 11(2), 237-240.

· J. Velmurugan1 and Dr. P. Anandha kumar2 (2014). Survey on Data Storage Security in Cloud Computing.Print