Cloud Computing Assignment: Data Security And Privacy

Question

Task: Construct a Cloud computing assignment illustrating various aspects of cloud computing along with the advantages, disadvantages and risk management techniques.

Answer

Introduction 
The present Cloud computing assignment sheds light on the role of Cloud service which is an on demand broad band service with provisions of self service, scalability and elasticity. Cloud computing will also ensure organizational maximize its profits by taking advantage of the features of cloud computing, which directly reduces the overheads contained in the keeping the own processing and data storage repositories in the premises. Further when compared with other second party demand based services cloud computing is scalable and will charge just in accordance with the actual usage quantity and volume of the organization. Hence considering all these facts, it is worth economical and reliable, custom dependable service for the organizations. In any case, considering the extensive usage of the services available on cloud like SaaS (Software as a service), PaaS (platform as a service), and infrastructure as a service, the breadth and width of service utilization possible from cloud have increased extensively in the recent years. In accordance with the level of usage of these services, the data and other critical information that organizations exchanges with cloud computing has grown up, stretching fresh challenges for organization to keep their data integrity as well as data security intact. In this context the current report investigates the issues of the data security, models, privacy and related aspects in cloud computing [1]. The key focus areas of the discussion provided in this Cloud computing assignment include methods and procedures to secure data in cloud computing along with the possible risks and risk management techniques. Also, the present report on Cloud computing assignment is discussing about several advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing in detail.

Overview of security models employed in cloud computing
The type of security models in the cloud computing operations is expected to be protecting for both intentional and accidental destructions possible to the structure of cloud computing operations. Apart from that the risk contained in the cloud computing operations need to be restricted by all the possible means like, typical focus areas for risk mitigation in cloud computing technologies is the physical risk mitigation, administrative risk mitigation as well logical risk mitigation. By all these means, the cloud computing measures are very much secured however the effectiveness of the same will be assured only when the secured measures are implemented comprehensively from all the possible ways and means [2].

Security models for Cloud computing basis the study examined in the Cloud computing assignment

Since the data entered in the cloud computing applications is normally critical and will be retrieved on demand by the organization, cloud computing technologies employ inherently secured means for the sake of data entry into the cloud computing repositories. Always the data entry provisions will be locked with appropriate controls for both access and retrieval requirements. The password and authentication procedures are expected to be of comfortable standards. Also there is need for the cloud computing methods to be tested frequently for the sake of defect free secured operations in the organization. Hence the security models employed in the cloud computing need to be appropriately secured as per the organizational and usage requirements and secondly they need to be benchmarked for their security standards in the industry benchmarks and the thirdly the security measures need to be continuously verified for their integrity and operational effectiveness. When all these measures are there in place effectively, the security models of the cloud computing can be said to be functioning effectively [3]. Some of the possible security models that can be implemented in the cloud computing model include DNSSEC, which will properly secure domain name servers and routers, implementing VPNs for cloud access, which can secure access control to Cloud computation. Encrypting data, using antivirus and firewalls add upto the security features of the Cloud computing.

What are the effective risk management strategies outlined in this Cloud computing assignment?
As a part of the measures to mitigate the risk in the operation of the cloud computing operations, it is very much required to keep the security of the data in process secured. In this regard, the data encryption is the one of the key methodologies. Data will be encrypted and will be processed in the same format for the sake of adding additional security for the data control. Secondly the data access and retrieval methods will be under continuous scrutiny and all the measures needed to keep the data access and retrieval to be secured will be ensured. Depending on the criticality of the data or the information under process, two layer or even three layer authentication protocols can be employed from time to time. Employees of the organization who are more likely to employ the cloud computing technologies will be trained and will be provided with the skills necessary for both the effective usage of the provisions as well to keep the technologies more secured as well[4]. In any case, the security and integrity of the cloud computing methods are assured with this type of control provisions. Further, data backup is expected to reliable and is to be integrated in the system operations.

Cloud computing is a commercial service and number of organizations do work on to link with the cloud service provider to exchange data, it is very much required to keep a comprehensive data security provision in the cloud computing methodology. As per the readings developed in this Cloud computing assignment, it is noted that keeping the authorization, access control and security measures more robust are considered effective for the system. Data leak or data loss is a serious concern on clouds and special provisions are always kept on stock to prevent data leak as well as data loss from the systems [5].

One of the key concerns of the cloud computing is the security and confidentiality of the cloud computing operations, when it is rendering its key advantages like flexibility, efficiency and strategic value delivery functions. Cloud computing offers unique advantage of being flexible for any type of application, like it can be working on diverse applications like SaaS, Paas, IaaS and also integration with mobile devices. IOTs [6], PCs etc make the application more and more versatile. When such devices are working to enhance the versatility and applicability of the model it is also a key concern to keep the data security and privacy upheld in all such flexible application models of data security. Further the efficiency of the operations of the cloud computing do have strong implications to the user benefits and at none of the times, data security and other related provisions should not compromise the efficiency of operations of this model. Further there is considerable need for cloud computing operations to function while rending the strategic advantage to the organizations. Organizations and their strategic advantages with cloud computing operations need not be compromised and all its operations can assure the data security and privacy while rendering the strategic advantage to the organizations. Strategic advantage can be in terms of providing strategic services for the organization promotion and excellence as well it can be inform of providing the necessary infrastructure for the organization to sustain as well it is possible to have other relevant aspects like timely functionality, data repository to reduce the overheads in the premises and so and so forth. Whatever may be the strategic advantage, while delivering the same, the cloud computing measures need not compromise on the data security and privacy aspects.

Advantages of cloud computing technologies
Some of the advantages outlined in the cloud computing assignment are mentioned below:

• On demand service
• Economical since will be paying only as per the usage (Scalable)
• Flexible and elastic in demand catering (on limit caps on usage)
• Reliable and dependable service (Proven and validated)
• Data encryption possible and so can be employed for secured and privacy content
• Adaptable for diverse application domains
• Can render IaaS, SaaS and PaaS on demand to the users and it is cost effective too for organizations
• On premise data storage can be eliminated
• Data storage on cloud will make the organization’s data storage immune from disaster related data losses.

Disadvantages of the cloud computing technologies
There are several disadvantages outlined in this segment of cloud computing assignment that includes cloud computing technologies do have the inherent vulnerability of data security loss while transmitting data through some channels like internet, further it is also required for the cloud computing models to be in compliance with numerous state and federal government regulations. Data confidentiality is a matter of concern for cloud computing technologies, as long as the data confidentiality is maintained, the organization can use the cloud computing satisfactorily, since it is a second party service if not the third party service, cloud service data confidentiality is a major concern and legislator as well as technical regulations and enforcement is very much required to keep the technology operational and to let the organizations employ the model for their strategic advantages. Further there is always the risk of technical problems; a technical glitch at any point in the cloud computational operations can escalate the risk of the data loss as well as data confidentiality loss at any time. Internet service providers the type of compliances and the Wi-Fi networks or LAN or WAN networks in use as well as the security protocols being used by these organizations as well as other aspects like low internet speeds etc are some of the factors limiting the wide spread application and reliance of the cloud computing services.

Conclusion
By considering the above analysis provided within this Cloud computing assignment, it can be concluded that cloud computing is playing a crucial role in organizational development. The analysis provided in the above context of this of cloud computing assignment also signifies that Data storage on cloud will make the organization’s data storage immune from disaster related data losses.

References
[1]M. Jouini and L. Rabai, "A Security Framework for Secure Cloud Computing Environments", International Journal of Cloud Applications and Computing, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 32-44, 2016. Cloud computing assignment. Available: 10.4018/ijcac.2016070103.

[2]B. Nour, K. Sharif, F. Li and Y. Wang, "Security and Privacy Challenges in Information-Centric Wireless Internet of Things Networks", IEEE Security & Privacy, pp. 1-1, 2019. Available: 10.1109/msec.2019.2925337.

[3]R. Shaikh and M. Sasikumar, "Data Classification for Achieving Security in Cloud Computing", Procedia Computer Science, vol. 45, pp. 493-498, 2015. Available: 10.1016/j.procs.2015.03.087.

[4]J. Tang, Y. Cui, Q. Li, K. Ren, J. Liu and R. Buyya, "Ensuring Security and Privacy Preservation for Cloud Data Services", ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 1-39, 2016. Available: 10.1145/2906153.

[5]Z. Tari, X. Yi, U. Premarathne, P. Bertok and I. Khalil, "Security and Privacy in Cloud Computing: Vision, Trends, and Challenges", IEEE Cloud Computing, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 30-38, 2015. Available: 10.1109/mcc.2015.45.

[6J. Zhou, Z. Cao, X. Dong and A. Vasilakos, "Security and Privacy for Cloud-Based IoT: Challenges", Cloud computing assignment IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 26-33, 2017. Available: 10.1109/mcom.2017.1600363cm.