Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing

The NIST definition of Cloud Computing, Special Publication (SP) 800-145, contains the following definition of the five “Essential Characteristics” of cloud computing.

• On demand self-service
• On-demand self-service is a service available to the consumer without the intervention of the provider. The “consumer” is the individual or organization that purchases the cloud service. Most of the examples in this course assume that an organization is the consumer.
• broad network access
• Broad network access goes beyond the Internet to include a wide range of client platforms.
• resource pooling
• Resource pooling allows the provider’s computing resources to be shared in a multi-tenant model with resources assigned and reassigned on demand.
• rapid elasticity
• Rapid elasticity allows resources to be rapidly and flexibly provisioned and scaled out and in. This provisioning and scaling is performed manually or, in the best case, automatically, either from set parameters or from application logic.
• measured service
• Measured service leverages metering capabilities to automatically control and optimize resource usage according to service parameters.

Common Threats to Cloud Resources

• data breaches
• insufficient identity, credential and access management
• insecure interface and API
• system vulnerability 
• account hijacking
• malicious insider
• advance persistent threats
• data loss
• insufficient due diligent 
• abuse 
• DOS
• shared technology issues
• sensitive data exposure
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