Cloud Computing - Case Study Example

To Whom it May Concern, Cloud computing is one of the most essential concepts that will continue to play a dramatic role in the modern century. Cloudcomputing is undoubtedly a vital components for organization as it upholds security, embeds flexibility and allows corporations to implement a modern IT system. The problem that majority companies faced with the traditional IT infrastructure consists of several problems. One of the critical problems is the fact that it takes high energy costs. In addition, the traditional mainframe networks take too much space. Furthermore, the heat that is generated through these servers must be cooled. In fact, recent studies have found that organizations achieved on average an 18% reduction in their budget from cloud computing and a 16% reduction in data costs. It is clear that cloud computing is a technology that has been around for many years, but lately has been the pivotal point for organizations. By optimizing technical support, optimization, and trouble shooting, the cloud provider can achieve significant economies of scale, leading to low prices for cloud resources. As a matter of fact, huge organization such as Amazon has already deployed cloud services in the cloud. It is clear that organizations are moving to this direction as data storage for the future. Body- Importance of Cyber security Securing a cloud computing environment requires a dynamic, collaborative effort that is also associated with the efforts of all the stakeholders. Alzain (2012) states that traditionally, many organizations have been inclined to utilize the mainframe which is not cost effective, requires patience, and is not as feasible as cloud computing. As the concept IT systems continue to evolve, security becomes a crucial element that must be carefully analyzed. Most organizations feared cloud computing because of its ability to be flexible within user domains. According to Alzain (2012), this posed a problem for organizations that did not have scalable solutions, but needed the concept of security embedded within their data. Hence, the scope of this document will aim to find new solutions that can cater towards securing the cloud environment. Security in cloud cannot be completed without understanding the components that are associated within the environment. Furhut(2010) states that cloud computing is dictated by private and public clouds. Corporations prefer private clouds because administrators control access through policies which designate capabilities. Here, the concept of access list becomes pivotal because only certain IPs and users can obtain access. In addition, Furhut(2010) discusses the functionality of private clouds, who have a great capability to maintain a secured environment and be integrated with a public cloud. Moreover, the delegated administrators can manage a scoped environment. In addition, a self-service user has many features to utilize in their network. For instance, Microsoft Cloud computing software allows individuals to have a fully integrated a web user interface. Another hot feature of cloud computing is clearly data synchronization. With the advent of data integration, data synchronization must be conducted in such a manner in which a uniformed manner of data is depicted. For instance, one standard template or file can be integrated into many file formats. Data integration is a crucial component of cloud computing because it allows organizations to opt out for open-access infrastructure rather than buying a custom solutions from a vendor. Although the challenge of open-source is more challenging, it does dramatically cut costs for organizations. Moreover in cloud computing, small businesses can access these resources and expand based on allocation needs. Cloud computing is not a new technology, but an innovation that is a method of delivering information using the current technologies. The internet infrastructure historically has allowed communication between client side and the server. Peterson R (2011) states that since cloud computing allows users to obtain multi-latency, which means users, are sharing resources. Since the cloud provides a layer of abstraction between the computing resources and the architecture involved, the customers do not own the environment but are obligated to pay a subscription fee and the cloud service provider grants them access to the clouds. Moreover, Peterson R (2011) insists that securing the cloud consists of many facets that may require users to understand OSI layers in which the data layer plays a pivotal role. From the physical layer standpoint, nothing is dramatically modified. However, cloud computing can change in layer 3 as the networking layer may have its protocols. Encryption Although encryption is essential in any network; one cannot underestimate the role of intrusion detecting systems in a cloud environment. Sommer(2012) discusses the importance of an intrusion detecting system. An IDS as mentioned above is vital as it can play a dramatic role to monitor activity and eliminate them before a problem occurs. Another security measure that can be taken is known as “para virtualization” in cloud computing. Sommer (2012) insists that since “para virtualized” guests rely on the hypervisor to obtain support from operations which would require privileged access traditionally, the guest can only have “read access rights.” Moreover, he suggests utilizing scripts that can be beneficial as the administrator can overview the activities that occur within a cloud network.  Any changes should be approved, documented, and tested that are conducted by the administrator. The central network console can dictate this as logs are monitored which in turn measures can can drastically facilitate the attempt to secure a cloud based environment. Services In a typical environment, a port is used as a channel to access the machine’s network, application and systems. In this case, many black hat hackers continue to utilize many methods to exploit these types of environment. Service monitoring tools such as Wireshark are essential for these issues. One type attack is known as network sniffing which utilizes a packet sniffer or an open source program known as Wireshark. Wireshark along with insider are two open source programs that are essential for any cybersecurity threats. Packet filtering is a crucial component of ingress and egress filtering must be conducted. Network protocols tend to protect traffic within the realms of their own networks. However, embedding ingress and egress network filtering will ensure that outgoing traffic gets approval. Although this can produce some latency in the network, it is an excellent method to embed in best practices. Enforcing an Access Control List along with VLAN can further mitigate these risks. VmWare For the basis of securing a cloud environment, a use case will be applied to understand this issue in more detail. For instance, at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the leader in providing health care services, has embraced the idea of cloud computing and adapted in their current IT infrastructure. Golia(2011) One of the main concerns of the organization was to reduce cost of their servers and address the issue of a growing customer base that was vital for their organizational needs. This could be achieved via using VMWare technology that is one of the innovators in the industry. The whole focal point of User Domain in VMWare is to ensure that segregation of duties is conducted in computer’s main frame. Before attempting to observe the issue, it is essential to understand the focal point of user domain itself. VMware allows load balancing and F5 network strategies in each user domain. It also allows hierarchal authority as it correlates to commands. Tipton (2005) Another element of user domains is the fact that is allows users to possess segregation of duties. Segregation of duties allows users to have separate domains and grant permissions. User domains can range from simple user access accounts or it can be a specific domain such as sales, marketing, and managers. Although this is not an open source technology, VMWare was an excellent choice as a vendor solution that created IDS within the networks of the cloud organizations. Conclusion It is crucial to understand that although cloud computing can benefit an organization in many ways, it also poses a security issues for organizations. First and foremost, cloud computing is a wireless technology, which makes organizations reluctant to adopt this technology. Since public clouds can be shared, access is another issue that needs to be addressed. It is clear that public and private clouds can be affected by both malicious attacks and infrastructure failures such as power outages. Hence, these events can affect Internet domain name servers, which can lead to DDoS and other malicious attacks. Undoubtedly, securing the cloud environment requires time, effort and truly understanding the IT infrastructure. Many stakeholders must work together and collaborate in order to facilitate this process. Without a doubt, cloud computing will continue to be a major driving force for data storage and allocation in the 21st century. It will be a huge investment for organizations to invest in the cloud because of the scalable solutions it offers. References Best Practices for the Security APIs. (n.d.). (Windows). Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms717796(v=vs.85).aspx Johnson, R. (2011). Security policies and implementation issues. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning. RQ News & Blog. (n.d.). ReliaQuest. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://www.reliaquest.com/three-steps-to-building-a-successful-security-awareness-program/ Tipton, H. F., & Krause, M. (2005). Information security management handbook (5th ed.). London: Taylor & Francis e-Library. Windows Azure Load Balancing: What To Know. (n.d.). InformationWeek. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/windows-azure-load-balancing-what-to-know/d/d-id/899840 Read More