Security of Cloud Computing

The Cloud Paradigm

The cloud computing paradigm introduced by the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) refers to the development and implementation of models for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand access to a shared set of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. The Cloud Computing is based on five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.

The Cloud Computing is based on five essential characteristics which are:

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  On-Demand Self-Service: A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.

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  Broad Network Access: Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations).

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  Resource Pooling: The provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. Examples of resources include storage, processing, memory, and network bandwidth.

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  Rapid Elasticity: Consumers of cloud resources can flex their use of computer resources (process, storage, bandwidth, and memory) as needed (Winkler, 2011). Capabilities can be elastically provisioned and released to scale rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be appropriated in any quantity at any time.

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  Measured Service: Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.