Security in Cloud Computing: State-of-the-Art, Key Features, Challenges, and Opportunities

Cloud computing is used for storing, processing, and exchanging information within a community or organization on demand. It presents an excellent business model for organizations in order to exploit better IT services with a lower cost, and less investment. However, a range of security issues predetermines such approach to use. This study incorporates an exploratory method of research by collecting state of the art literature on security and privacy of cloud computing with showing the possible solutions presented in multiple research studies. We then discussed cloud computing architecture, cloud computing security, and highlighted the major challenges of cloud computing security. This is necessary to understand the details of the chosen solution to the widespread security issues associated with cloud computing. Another major contribution of this research is the development of a framework that can be used by enterprises to evaluate the level of threats and damages in their virtual environment. The framework is supported by previous theories that were reviewed in this study.