Within the past 10 years our societies technological advantages have been somewhat space age like, even alien like characteristics. Technologies, which ten years ago only existed in our dreams but yet, have become reality. Things like, the revolutionary iPhone and its almost seamless touch-screen tech; as well as the new advancements in our cultures most prized possession, The Internet. In this subject-based paper, I will take a closer look into a fairly new emerging technology, which is simply referred to as…Cloud Technology. The synopsis will cover, what and how cloud technology works, its
The majority of us have been found out about the most cloud security disappointments in which all the cloud innovation organizations are kept on developing, despite everything they endure a similar kind of issues in-house infrastructure's. Distributed computing has turned into a greatest market in the present innovation. In a report of 2016, experts at Gartner anticipated that exchanging to cloud will influence $1 Trillion in Information innovation in the following five years. Cloud administrations showcase has developed to a degree level that it was not a striking level of aggregate it is spending, which was creating new innovations and new businesses which are conceived in the cloud. At the point when cloud administrations are going
Private cloud is an infrastructure operated solely for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a third-party, and can be hosted either internally or externally.
Public cloud is the infrastructure for open use. It is hosted on the premises of the cloud provider. Public cloud is flexible, scalable and cost-effective. The data and processing environment are not under control of enterprises. The model is not suitable for applications or data with a security requirement.
A private cloud is created for the use of a single unit or organization that is dedicated to service the needs of the same unit or organization. Although, the cloud should still remain outside the institution and in the data center space, so that can be referred to as the cloud concept. Managing a private cloud can be done internally (by the unit that uses the cloud) or by a person or a third party, which will manage the cloud for the unit.
Cloud technology links remote computers to a network of data servers that contain user data. It serves to increase efficiency in data access, increase user convenience and lower costs. It also has created efficiencies in terms of user hardware requirements necessary to access files and programs in multiple locations. A system designed in only 2006, it has already become a $68 billion global industry, with an anticipated $17 billion per annum growth rate. With such a growth rate, cloud technology is rapidly becoming an increasingly important aspect of individual and corporate data storage. While cloud technology provides an expansive range of possibilities of use for individuals and businesses alike, it has also posed challenges for its effective governance and privacy.
The topic of the cloud computing industry and security is broad with far reaching intricacies. Therefore, to narrow the subject, the definition of cloud computing as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (NIST Special Publication 800-145, 2011) will be used as the foundation for this study. The NIST adopted the (Mell & Grance, 2010) cloud computing definition in 2011. (Mell & Grance, (2010)) defined cloud computing as a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service-provider interaction (Mell & Grance, (2010)).
The public cloud is a deployment model where cloud services are provided over a public network, such as the internet, by a third-party provider. Examples of public cloud services include Dropbox, Gmail and Twitter. By definition, most SaaS applications operate under the public cloud deployment model. One of the primary advantages of public cloud is its attractive pricing model. The organisation is typically charged a subscription fee for access to the cloud services, paying only for the number of users required, this removes the need for business to manage software licences (Savvas [Online], 2014). However, security conscious organisations requiring a SaaS solution may opt for a private cloud segregated from public networks. There are obvious security concerns involved in exposing a SaaS application to a public network. However, there are concrete steps an organisation can take to reduce the risk incurred with public cloud deployments. Many public cloud SaaS providers offer two-factor authentication, requiring an additional level of verification before the user’s credentials are accepted. This is typically achieved using an authentication code in the form of a text message sent to the user’s registered mobile number. Furthermore, organisations should develop and maintain a culture of cyber security, enforce best practices such as creating strong passwords and training staff in phishing awareness.
In the Cloud system, there are high security features as compared to peer to peer systems where security is handled by the end users.
The Public Cloud resides at the cloud provider’s location and defines the sharing of a common infrastructure by entities (businesses, academic, or government) that meet the same type of infrastructure needs and is designed for general public use (Mell, P., Grance, T., 2010). By sharing resources, cost is spread across the entities and this can lead to cost savings for everyone.
Cloud computing is a topic of which much is assumed. The average person recognizes the term “cloud computing” as having to do with their storage from their iPad or iPhone on the online storage area which syncs their Apple devices to their computer. This common cloud is called the iCloud. That is where common knowledge ends about this topic. However, upon further exploration, a deeper understanding is gained with greater explanation, and it is realized that cloud computing is something that is used all of the time on many levels of everyday technology. While the terminology remains cryptic to the mind of most people, the concepts behind the practical uses of cloud computing become quite clear. It is relatable and understandable. Upon this revelation, the iCloud is recognized as the tip of the preverbal iceberg when speaking about cloud computing. It is important to discuss and further understand the many types of cloud computing as well as the various applications to life through technology. This affects how information is stored online, computers are protected, information is secured, emails are processed, and many other factors that are taken for granted in the world of technology. Cloud computing is a general term used to describe how information is stored, utilized, and accessed over the internet. There is no cloud, but the word cloud gives the connotation of an abstract place which is known to exist but is too vast to touch or contain (Griffith,
Much like a giant office building provides the basic resources that can be tailored to fit several different businesses specific needs, Cloud providers offer customizable IT resources to satisfy an organization’s demands. (Salesforce, 2011) Employing Cloud allows the organization to focus on its primary goals and objectives.
There are four deployment models of cloud computing. Each one has its unique benefits, therefore, the most suitable to a business must be chosen wisely. In the public cloud model, the cloud computing infrastructure is hosted at the vendor’s premises by the cloud vendor. The customer doesn’t know about the structure of the cloud nor has control over the location where computing infrastructure is hosted. In the public cloud, the computing infrastructure is shared among organizations. In Private cloud, the computing infrastructure is for one single organization and not shared with any other entities. Some say that private clouds are not considered a part of cloud computing. In comparison to public clouds, private clouds tend to be more expensive but more secure. There are two types of private clouds: On-premise private clouds and externally hosted private clouds. Externally hosted private clouds are hosted by a third party that specializes in cloud computing
The cloud refers to wide – area networks, generally the intent from which remote computing resources are shared as shown in the Fig 1.1. The cloud reduces costs and complexity and provides scalability. The biggest advantage that the cloud brings is to reduce costs and improve efficiency. An institution can rely on the ‘pay-as-you-go’ characteristic of the three pillars of cloud: PaaS and Saas. Ease of maintenance increase efficiency as the pain of maintaining the software is now shifted to the cloud service provider.
NIST intends this informal definition to enhance and inform the public debate on cloud computing. Cloud computing is still an evolving paradigm. Its definition, use cases, underlying technologies, issues, risks, and benefits will be refined and better understood with a spirited debate by the public and private sectors. This definition, its attributes, characteristics, and underlying rationale will evolve over time.