Cloud Computing Security Issues - Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Cloud computing services enabled through information communication technology delivered to acustomer as services over the Internet on a leased basis have the capability to extend up or down theirservice requirements or needs. In this model, the infrastructure is owned by a third party vendor andthe cloud computing services are delivered to the requested customers. Cloud computing model hasmany advantages including scalability, flexibility, elasticity, efficiency, and supports outsourcing noncore activities of an organization. Cloud computing offersan innovative business concept fororganizations to adopt IT enabled services without advance investment. This model enablesconvenient, on-request network accessibility to a shared pool of IT computing resources like networks,servers, storage, applications, and services. Cloud computing can be quickly provisioned and releasedwith negligible management exertion or service provider interaction. Even though organizations getmany benefits of cloud computing services, many organizations are slow in accepting cloud computing service model because of security concerns and challenges associated with management ofthis technology. Security, being the major issues which hinder the growth of cloud computing servicemodel due to the provision of handling confidential data by the third party is risky such that theconsumers need to be more attentive in understanding the risks of data breaches in this newenvironment. In this paper, we have discussed the security issues, the challenges and the opportunitiesin the adoption and management of cloud computing services model in an organization.