A Framework for Secure Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is one of the most discussed topics today in the field of information technology. It introduces a new Internet-based environment for on-demand, dynamic provision of reconfigurable computing resources. The biggest challenge in cloud computing is the security and privacy problems caused by its multi-tenancy nature and the outsourcing of infrastructure, sensitive data and critical applications. In this paper, the authors propose a framework that identifies security and privacy challenges in cloud computing. It highlights cloud-specific attacks and risks and clearly illustrates their mitigations and countermeasures. They also propose a generic cloud computing security model that helps satisfy security and privacy requirements in the clouds and protect them against various vulnerabilities.