Security and Privacy Challenges in Multi-Tenant Cloud Architectures: A Comprehensive Analysis

Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative model for delivering scalable and cost-effective computing services. Among the various deployment models, multi-tenant cloud architectures are widely adopted due to their ability to host multiple tenants on shared infrastructure. However, this shared nature introduces significant challenges related to data security, privacy, and isolation. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the security and privacy issues inherent in multitenant cloud environments, with a special focus on Google Cloud as a representative platform. We explore the architecture of multi-tenancy, threat models, common vulnerabilities, and realworld attack scenarios. Furthermore, we propose a conceptual framework to enhance tenant isolation, ensure secure communication, and preserve data privacy using robust access control and encryption mechanisms. The analysis highlights the need for continuous monitoring, policy enforcement, and collaborative governance to build trust in cloud-based multi-tenant ecosystems.