Cloud security assessment and identity management

Cloud Computing is the long dreamed vision of computing as a utility, to provide on-demand applications and services. Users can be relieved from the burden of local data storage and maintenance by hosting their data on the clouds. With all its inherent value, the cloud introduces significant security challenges for both the consumers and cloud service providers in all the public, private, and hybrid cloud configurations. In this paper, security challenges (specifically the identity breach) for both consumers and service providers is presented. Cloud security assessment with Quantitative risk and impact framework (QUIRC) and Wide-band Delphi method have been proposed as a suitable process for collecting input from expert consensus. Major security breach incidents of the past have been discussed along with the present day cloud challenges as per the Cloud Security Alliance. A Dymanic Identity Mapping Association N Discovery System (DIMANDS) as an identity solution for large scale heterogeneous network environments is also discussed.