Analysis of Privacy Challenges and Security Concerns in Cloud Computing
Abstract
Cloud computing is a method to enhance the capacity dynamically without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. It can be viewed as a cost effective solution to various security threats. It extends the existing capabilities of Electronics and Communication world and its ongoing capabilities. In the last few years, cloud computing has grown from being a promising business concept to one of the fast growing segments of the Communication industry at large. But as more and more information on individuals and companies are added in the cloud, concerns are beginning to grow about just “how safe” an environment it is. Despite of all the hype surrounding the cloud, enterprise customers are still hesitating to deploy their business in the cloud. Security is one of the major concern which curbs the growth of cloud computing and complications with data privacy/security and data protection continue to plague the market. In this paper, a survey of the different security risks that pose a concern to the cloud is presented. This paper is a survey more specific to the different security issues that has emanated due to the nature of the service delivery models of a cloud computing system.
Keywords
Download Options
Introduction
Cloud Computing has been envisioned as the next generation architecture of Communication industry at large, due to its long list of unprecedented advantages in the IT history: on-demand self-service, ubiquitous network access, location independent resource pooling, rapid resource elasticity, usage-based pricing and transference of risk [1]. As a disruptive technology with profound implications, Cloud Computing is transforming the very nature of how businesses use information technology. From users‟ perspective, including both individuals and IT enterprises, storing data remotely into the cloud in a flexible ondemand manner brings appealing benefits: relief of the burden for storage management, universal data access with independent geographical locations, and avoidance of capital expenditure on hardware, software, and personnel maintenances, etc [2]. Nowadays anyone with an interest in communication or information technology must look towards cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to a service that satisfies all of the following conditions [3].
Conclusion
Cloud computing offers real benefits to companies seeking a competitive edge in today’s economy. Many more providers are moving into this area, and the competition is driving prices even lower. Attractive pricing, the ability to free up staff for other duties, and the ability to pay for “as needed” services will continue to drive more businesses to consider cloud computing. As described in the paper, though there are extreme advantages in using a cloud-based system, there are yet many problems which have to be solved. Several outstanding issues exist, particularly related to service-level agreements (SLA), security and privacy, and power efficiency. Every element in the cloud should be analyzed at the macro and micro level and an integrated solution must be designed and deployed in the cloud to attract the potential consumers. This paper has highlighted that cloud computing is associated with serious risks to privacy and consumer rights, and that current privacy law may struggle to address some of those risks. It has also highlighted that consumers using cloud computing products, like other cloud computing users, need to be cautious. This would be more like storing related data in different locations based on the metadata information which would make information invaluable if a malicious intent user recovers it. Another piece of the framework would be providing Security as a Service to the applications by providing security as a single-tier or a multi-tier based on the application’s requirement and addition to it, the tiers are enabled to change dynamically making the security system less predictable.