C11-1 Case Study 11 Cloud Computing Security ✓ Solved

C11-1 CASE STUDY 11 CLOUD COMPUTING (IN)SECURITY Cloud computing

Cloud computing is reshaping enterprise network architectures and infrastructures. It refers to applications delivered as services over the Internet as well as the hardware and systems software in data centers that provide those services. The services themselves have long been referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS) which had its roots in Software-Oriented Architecture (SOA) concepts that began shaping enterprise network roadmaps in the early 2000s. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service) are other types of cloud computing services that are available to business customers. Cloud computing fosters the notion of computing as a utility that can be consumed by businesses on demand.

It has the potential to reshape much of the IT industry by giving businesses the option of running business software applications fully on-premises, fully in the cloud or some combination of these two extremes. Security is important to any computing infrastructure. Allaying security concerns is frequently a prerequisite for further discussions about migrating part or all of an organization’s computing architecture to the cloud. Availability is another major concern: “How will we operate if we can’t access the Internet? What if our customers can’t access the cloud to place orders?” are common questions.

Generally speaking, such questions only arise when businesses contemplating moving core transaction processing, such as ERP systems, and other mission-critical applications to the cloud. Companies have traditionally demonstrated less concern about migrating high maintenance applications such as e-mail and payroll to cloud service providers even though such applications hold sensitive information. Security issues and concerns regarding auditability are raised, especially among organizations who must comply with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA. The auditability of data must be ensured whether it is stored on-premises or moved to the cloud. Before moving critical infrastructure to the cloud, businesses should do diligence on security threats both from outside and inside the cloud.

Many of the security issues associated with protecting clouds from outside threats are similar to those that have traditionally faced centralized data centers. In the cloud, however, responsibility for assuring adequate security is often shared among users, vendors, and any third-party firms that users rely on for security-sensitive software or configurations. Cloud users are responsible for application-level security, while vendors are responsible for physical security and some software security such as enforcing external firewall policies. Cloud users must protect against risks associated with sharing vendor resources with other cloud users, as cloud providers must guard against theft or denial-of-service attacks by their users and users need to be protected from one another.

A security risk that can be overlooked by companies considering a migration to the cloud is that posed by sharing vendor resources with other cloud users. Virtualization can be a powerful mechanism for addressing these potential risks because it protects against most attempts by users to attack one another or the provider’s infrastructure. However, not all resources are virtualized and not all virtualization environments are bug-free. Incorrect virtualization may allow user code to access to sensitive portions of the provider’s infrastructure or the resources of other users.

Another security concern that businesses should consider is the extent to which subscribers are protected against the provider, especially in the area of inadvertent data loss. For example, there might occur incidents in the event of provider infrastructure improvements, where hardware could be disposed of without being properly wiped clean of subscriber data. It is also plausible that permissions bugs or errors might make subscriber data visible to unauthorized users. User-level encryption is an essential self-help mechanism for subscribers, but businesses should ensure that other protections are in place to avoid inadvertent data loss.

Many documents have been developed to guide businesses about the security issues associated with cloud computing. NIST has recommendations considering the major types of cloud services consumed by businesses including SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS. While security issues vary somewhat depending on the type of cloud service, there are multiple NIST recommendations that are independent of service type. NIST recommends selecting cloud providers that support strong encryption, have appropriate redundancy mechanisms in place, employ authentication mechanisms, and offer subscribers sufficient visibility about mechanisms used to protect subscribers.

As more businesses incorporate cloud services into their network infrastructures, cloud computing security remains an important issue. Failures have the potential to negatively impact business interest in cloud services and this motivates service providers to integrate robust security mechanisms to alleviate concerns of potential subscribers.

Paper For Above Instructions

Cloud computing is evolving as a significant technological advancement, revolutionizing how businesses operate and manage their IT resources. However, as organizations move from traditional on-premises systems to cloud-based solutions, they face numerous security challenges that could affect their operations and data integrity. This paper aims to evaluate the security concerns associated with cloud computing and explore strategies to mitigate these risks, focusing specifically on Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as the selected service model.

Understanding Cloud Computing

At its core, cloud computing offers a range of services that help businesses access and manage IT resources through the Internet. These services can be classified into different categories: Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). IaaS allows organizations to procure computing infrastructure such as servers, storage, and networking on a pay-as-you-go basis, effectively transforming how businesses can provision and scale their IT environments (Armbrust et al., 2010).

Security Concerns in IaaS

While IaaS provides flexibility and cost savings, it also presents unique security challenges. One of the primary concerns is data security. Organizations must ensure that their data is protected both at rest and in transit. Shared resources amongst multiple tenants in a multi-tenant environment may expose sensitive data to unauthorized access if adequate security measures are not implemented (Badger et al., 2011).

Another critical risk is the potential for infrastructure misconfigurations that could lead to vulnerabilities. The shared responsibility model in cloud computing means users must manage security configurations and monitor their environments proactively (IBM, 2011). For instance, failure to configure firewalls or other security settings can result in unintentional exposure of data.

Additionally, companies must contend with compliance issues. Regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS impose strict data protection requirements that organizations must adhere to when using cloud services (Heavey, 2011). Failure to comply can lead to severe penalties and legal repercussions.

Mitigation Strategies

To address these security risks, organizations can implement several strategies. First, they need to conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify vulnerabilities within the IaaS environment. This proactive approach helps organizations discover and rectify security issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

Strong encryption practices are essential for data protection. Organizations should encrypt sensitive data, both at rest and in transit, to ensure its confidentiality (NIST, 2011). Moreover, utilizing robust access control measures, such as multifactor authentication, can help protect against unauthorized access to cloud resources.

Implementing a clear incident response plan is critical. Organizations must have prepared procedures for responding to security breaches or data loss incidents. This plan should outline roles, responsibilities, and communication strategies to ensure a swift response and mitigate potential damages.

Furthermore, organizations can leverage virtualization technologies to enhance security. For instance, by employing containerization and micro-segmenting applications, firms can create secure environments that limit the potential impact of security threats (Badger et al., 2011).

Conclusion

As organizations increasingly adopt IaaS solutions, understanding and addressing the underlying security issues is paramount. Awareness of data protection, regulatory compliance, and effective mitigation strategies can significantly bolster an organization's security posture. With the right measures in place, businesses can harness the benefits of cloud computing while safeguarding their critical assets and ensuring operational continuity.

References

• Armbrust, M., Fox, A., Griffith, R., Joseph, A.D., Katz, R., Konwinski, A., Lee, G., Patterson, D., Rabkin, A., Stoica, I., & Zaharia, M. (2010). A View of Cloud Computing. Communications of the ACM, 53(4), 50-58.
• Badger, L., Grance, T., Patt-Comer, R., & Voas, J. (2011). Draft Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations: Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Special Publication.
• Heavey, J. (2011). Cloud Computing: Secure or Security Risk? Technorati.com.
• IBM Global Technology Services. (2011). Security and Availability in Cloud Computing Environments, Technical White Paper.
• NIST. (2011). NIST Special Publication 800-145: The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing.
• Shen, X. (2020). Challenges and Enablement of Cloud Computing Engineering. IEEE Internet of Things Journal.
• Katz, R. H. (2019). A Cloud-Computing Based Framework for Open Government Data: Theoretical Perspectives. International Journal of Information Management.
• Subashini, S., & Kavitha, V. (2011). A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing. Journal of Network and Computer Applications.
• Sedhain, A., et al. (2017). A survey on privacy and security issues in cloud computing. Journal of the Network and Computer Applications.
• Scarfone, K., & Mell, P. (2017). Guide to Securing the Cloud. NIST Special Publication 800-144.