Cloud Computing Risk Issues And Security Challenges

Introducing the 'Treacherous 12,' the top security threats organizations face when using cloud services

Cloud security challenges and risks continue to be a hurdle for enterprise IT, but a secure cloud is attainable with the right tools and strategies.

Although virtualization and cloud computing can help companies accomplish more by breaking the physical bonds between an IT infrastructure and its users, heightened security threats must be overcome in order to benefit fully from this new computing paradigm. This is particularly true for the SaaS provider. Some security concerns are worth more discussion. For example, in the cloud, you lose control over assets in some respects, so your security model must be reassessed. Enterprise security is only as good as the least reliable partner, department, or vendor. Can you trust your data to your service provider? This excerpt discusses some issues you should consider before answering that question.

Many enterprises are turning to the cloud for better availability and storage, but there are a number of threats that can put those environments at risk.

Enterprises are increasingly looking towards the cloud for their infrastructure needs. However, cloud security is a serious issue plaguing the migration to the cloud. Some organizations believe that on-premise is more secure compared to the cloud, while others believe it to be less secure for storing sensitive data.

The bad news: It's you against an army of cybercriminals around the world. The good news: A little knowledge can provide an effective defense

For many agencies, cloud computing is the answer to a range of long-standing challenges, including scalability and true elasticity, barriers to entry, technology refreshes and cost savings. Yet cloud computing can introduce its own challenges, particularly in terms of security -- not necessarily in the capabilities of the cloud but in the perceptions that surround cloud because of its abstract nature