Cloud Computing Research
Cloud Security and Mobile Cloud Computing
Cloud security is the process of protecting cloud computing systems, including the accompanying data and infrastructure. This is made up of policies, controls, procedures, and technologies that act as security measures. Cloud security is important because it helps protect cloud computing systems and their data against data breaches, hacking, malware attacks, and other cybersecurity threats. Types of cloud security measures include access control, threat detection, threat mitigation, and redundancy. In MIS3406, Cloud Architecture, we explored various access control measures, such as firewalls, network access control lists, and security groups. These techniques act as cloud security measures by filtering and blocking network traffic from certain ports, IP addresses, and protocols. We also explored redundancy with our RDS system, as we learned about the importance of having an RDS live database in one private subnet and an RDS standby database in another private subnet. An example of cloud security in practice is the encryption practice used by Apple’s iCloud. Apple uses two encryption protocols, TLS and SSL, with the advanced encryption standard (AES) with 128 bits to protect data transfers between Apple devices and the cloud server. This means that data is encrypted and sent with a decipher key when it is transported between the device and server. This acts as a cloud security measure because it protects the data from unauthorized access.
Mobile cloud computing is cloud computing that involves the use of mobile devices. At its core, mobile cloud computing involves infrastructure where the data storage and data processing do not happen on the mobile device. Instead, the mobile device calls to the cloud to perform computations and data storage. This type of computing is especially beneficial to mobile device users because mobile devices, due to the nature of their hardware and software, cannot perform computations at the speed and efficiency in which cloud services provide. Benefits of mobile cloud computing included improved battery life, data storage, processing power, and reliability. The concept of mobile cloud computing builds on the topics we have covered in MIS3406 because it demonstrates a cloud architecture system in action. Specifically, mobile cloud computing heavily utilizes application-based cloud software deployed on servers in the cloud to give mobile devices additional functionalities and storage. These applications typically have RDS systems in place to maintain the needed data for the application and the user. Therefore, mobile cloud computing demonstrates application-based cloud software as well as RDS. An example of mobile cloud computing in practice is the use of Dropbox cloud storage on a mobile device. Dropbox offers mobile applications for Apple and Android users. The mobile device sends a request to Dropbox’s cloud servers for the data being stored, and Dropbox responds by then sending the data to the mobile device.
Cloud security and mobile cloud computing are intertwined in the sense that there are several security concerns with mobile cloud computing. This is because the software and hardware of mobile phones is often less protected than that of computers. Therefore, mobile phones are more susceptible to security threats such as mobile malware, data leakage, insecure networks, proximity-based hacking, and insufficient access to APIs. This then makes the cloud infrastructure and data more vulnerable to such security threats. Some efforts to combat these security issues in the mobile cloud computing architecture include integrity checks of networks and network requests, tamper detection of code and resources, and well-integrated authentication algorithms.
References:
Dobran, B. (2020, November 13). Top 7 Things You Need to Know About Cloud Security To Ensure Protection. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://phoenixnap.com/blog/what-is-cloud-security
Dropbox Cloud Storage – Cloud Computing Everyone Can Use. (2016, February 16). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://dmgonlinemarketing.com/dropbox-cloud-storage/
Has iCloud Gotten Safer? Apple’s Cloud and Security. (2018, June 11). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.cloudwards.net/apples-cloud-and-security/
SSL vs TLS – What’s the Difference? (2020, February 13). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.globalsign.com/en/blog/ssl-vs-tls-difference
What is Cloud Security? (2020, July 27). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.forcepoint.com/cyber-edu/cloud-security
What is mobile cloud computing? (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/what-is-mobile-cloud-computing