DCDIDP: A distributed, collaborative, and data-driven intrusion detection and prevention framework for cloud computing environments

With the growing popularity of cloud computing, the exploitation of possible vulnerabilities grows at the same pace; the distributed nature of the cloud makes it an attractive target for potential intruders. Despite security issues delaying its adoption, cloud computing has already become an unstoppable force; thus, security mechanisms to ensure its secure adoption are an immediate need. Here, we focus on intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPSs) to defend against the intruders. In this paper, we propose a Distributed, Collaborative, and Data-driven Intrusion Detection and Prevention system (DCDIDP). Its goal is to make use of the resources in the cloud and provide a holistic IDPS for all cloud service providers which collaborate with other peers in a distributed manner at different architectural levels to respond to attacks. We present the DCDIDP framework, whose infrastructure level is composed of three logical layers: network, host, and global as well as platform and software levels. Then, we review its components and discuss some existing approaches to be used for the modules in our proposed framework. Furthermore, we discuss developing a comprehensive trust management framework to support the establishment and evolution of trust among different cloud service providers. © 2011 ICST