View from the Cloud

Cloud computing is the newest term for the long-dreamed vision of computing as a utility. The cloud provides convenient, on-demand network access to a centralized pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly deployed with great efficiency and minimal management overhead.1 With its un- precedented advantages, cloud computing enables a fundamental paradigm shift in how we deploy and deliver computing services — that is, it makes possible computing outsourcing such that both individuals and enterprises can avoid committing large capital outlays when purchasing and managing software and hardware, as well as dealing with the operational overhead therein.1 Although cloud computing’s benefits are tremendous, security and privacy concerns are the primary obstacles to wide adoption.2 Because cloud service providers (CSPs) are separate administrative entities, moving to the commercial public cloud deprives users of direct control over the systems that manage their data and applications. Even if CSPs ’ infrastructure and management capabilities are much more powerful and reliable than those of personal computing devices, the cloud platform still faces both internal and external security and privacy threats, including media failures, software bugs, malware, administrator errors and malicious insiders. Noteworthy outages and security breaches to cloud services appear from time to time2: Apple’s iPad subscriber privacy lea