Security and Privacy Challenges in Cloud Computing Environments

Cloud computing is an evolving paradigm with tremendous momentum, but its unique aspects exacerbate security and privacy challenges. This article explores the roadblocks and solutions to providing a trustworthy cloud computing environment.

Computing: Definition and Features

Although several researchers have tried to define cloud computing, no single, agreed-upon definition exists yet. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, http://csrc.nist.gov) defines it as follows:

Cloud computing is a model for enabling conve-nient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three delivery models, and four deployment models.