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Cloud Security is the technical end of threat prevention, a collection of tools and technologies that can insert barriers between access and visibility of sensitive data. Examples of these tools are encryption, which scrambles data into an unreadable form if it’s stolen by hackers. Other techniques include data transit protections like virtual private networks, and identity management systems that control the accessibility privileges of user accounts.

A secure Cloud environment requires the cooperation of clients and providers. Whereas private individuals can achieve good Cloud Security mainly through general data protection measures, such as clever passwords and encrypted data, companies must take additional precautions. For example, large companies need to have a dynamic authorization procedure that ensures only employees with the right skills have access to data. This is a challenge because active or resigned employees pose a particular risk, because they might be able to misuse internal knowledge through Cloud access. In addition, companies need to keep close track of where their data is stored. For instance, if data is stored in the USA, they must also consider American laws that provide less legal protection of users’ privacy than European law.

The quality of Cloud Security also depends on how well the provider and client understand their individual responsibilities. It is important that the provider offers a transparent and clear shared responsibility model to avoid misinterpretations about whose responsibility it is to manage a secure Cloud environment. For example, the providers of Infrastructure-as-a-Service are responsible for the hardware and remote connectivity frameworks that house core cloud services, but it’s up to the clients to secure everything that gets stacked on top of this operating system, including applications, data, runtimes, and middleware. They must also ensure that their own devices, such as PCs, mobile devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are securely configured.