Cyber Security in Cloud Platforms

Introduction to Cloud Infrastructure

Cloud computing is nothing but sharing computable resources over the internet as desired by users and sendee providers (Pal 2020). Cloud infrastructure is related to its architecture and the integration of many loosely coupled cloud components. The cloud computing architecture is classified in two parts: one is the front end and another is the back end. Both of the ends are joined to each other through the internet connection.

Figure 11.1 shows a diagram of the cloud computing architecture. The front end is cloud clients using computing devices. These are servers, normal PCs and nowadays these computing devices include laptops, mobile phones and sensing devices. The cloud client consists of the Application Program Interface (API) and applications required to access the cloud computing platform (Dewangan et al. 2016). This internet API makes a lot of decisions that the sending program must follow with the goal that the internet can convey the information to the goal program. The back end is the cloud, which represents all the resources required to provide cloud computing services and it consists of a database, operating system, application, services models (Dewangan et al. 2019a), deployment models, network servers, storage (Dewangan et al. 2019), and so on. Through the programming interface, the cloud determines the code running towards one side of the framework and requests that the internet foundation conveys information to a particular goal program running on another end framework (Dewangan et al. 2018). The back end is represented in 3D architecture because all these services are to be managed and secure. The back end is also responsible for providing security of data along with the management of traffic flow.

Cloud Deployment and Services Models

Cloud computing is used by almost all organizations because of the use and pay feature. Different types of clouds are used to solve different issues (Dewangan et al. 2020). Because no one cloud can fulfill the requirements of all different organizations, there are three cloud deployment models.

FIGURE 11.1

Cloud computing architecture.

11.2.1 Public Cloud

The services are provided for common users, where the resources are provided by third- party service providers.

11.2.2 Private Cloud

In the private cloud, a personal cloud may either be set up physically at any organization's onsite data center or it may be hosted by the third-party service supplier. The service and infrastructure are completely under the control of the non-public network. It may be used by an organization because of the sensitivity of their data and other privacy concerns.

11.2.3 Hybrid Cloud

The resources are provided by a combination of the two models previously mentioned by permitting the data and programs to be shared between them.

These clouds offer different types of services:

11.2.4 Infrastructure as a Service (laaS)

IaaS is mainly focused on providing hardware and network resources over the internet. In this model, a third party owns all the resources and other peripherals which are requested by the user. It also provides many applications and frameworks to supports the user's requirements. The user can use infrastructure like servers to sendee networks, storage to store information and operating systems to supervise resources. For example, IBM Smart Cloud Enterprise, Windows Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are major sendee providers.

11.2.5 Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is a distributed computing framework which carries applications over the Web. In a PaaS model, a cloud supplier sends equipment and programming tolls, usually those which are needed for application improvement, to its clients as assistance. A PaaS supplier has the equipment and the programming without the foundation of anyone else. Accordingly, PaaS liberates clients from introducing in-house equipment and programming in order to make or run another application. PaaS do not supplant a business' whole framework, however, a business depends on PaaS suppliers for key administration, for example, Java advancement or application facilitation. Be that as it may, a PaaS supplier supports all the basic registering and programming; clients just have to sign in and then initiate the utilization of the stage for the most part through the interface of a Web program. PaaS suppliers at that point charge on the basis of every entry per client or on a month by month basis.

11.2.6 Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is mainly focused on applications-based service, in which a client does not need to install any software or applications to run any complex computing problem. The computing problem executes in servers through the Web browser and provides the desired report to the user. SaaS has become an indisputably pervasive conveyance model as fundamental advancements and new enhancements that aid in Web administration and administration arranged engineering (SOA) have been developed and become renowned, for example, Ajax. SaaS is strictly identified with the ASP (application specialist organization) and on- request processing of the programming conveyance models. The International Data Corporation (IDC) identifies two conveyance models for SaaS, specifically the facilitated application model and the product improvement model.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

• • Accessibility: Cloud resources and services can be accessed anytime from anywhere using an internet connection.
• • Low cost: The organization has to pay only for the computing resource and services used.
• • Cost reduction: The organization removes the cost of purchasing infrastructure and computing requirements.
• • Scalability: Dynamic resources are supplied by the provider according to the resources demanded by the client.
• • Reduced task: The organization's tasks are reduced as infrastructure and its management are not required.
• • Backup and recovery: In cloud computing, backup and recovery of the organization’s data are easy.
• • Flexibility: The organization can customize resources and services to fulfill its requirements.

• • Security: Security of the organization's data depends on the service provider and deployment model.
• • Less maintenance: It does not require much maintenance as no infrastructure is required.

Literature Review

Chadwick (2020) proposed a structure and organization model for supporting the private cloud and security ensuring sharing of data about digital threats. Stergiou (2020) reviewed IoT and cloud computing innovations with a focus on security issues that the two advances confronted. Especially, these two previously mentioned innovations have been considered with the intention of analyzing the well-known qualities and looking at and finding the advantages of combining them to provide assurances about their utilization. In all, the engagement of the cloud with IoT improves the activity of Big Data framework. Gai (2016) addresses cyber incident (Cl) execution concentrating on cloud-based assistance contributions and proposes a protected digital episode examination system utilizing Big Data. Their methodology is intended for coordinating diverse digital threat situations, which utilizes vault information. Their reconstruction has provided hypothetical confirmation of adoptability and attainability. Elnagdy (2016) centers on this issue and audits an expansive range of materials to increase profound comprehension of the scientific classification of digital security threats for protection. Takahashi et al. (2010) presented an ontological system to resolve the cyber security threats in the cloud and Jouini et al. (2012) observed the quantitative measurement of information security. In 2020, Jouini et al. (2020) again presented quantitative security analysis system for the cloud. Stergiou (2020) presented a Machine Learning based secured system for Big Data under the cloud and IoT operations. Dewangan et al. (2020) presented the comparative analysis of different cloud scheduling algorithms with security and other measures.

The comparative study of cyber security in cloud techniques is shown in Table 11.1.

TABLE 11.1

Comparative Study of Cyber Security in Cloud Techniques

Issues and Challenges

The following issues are observed in cyber security in the cloud (Cawthra et al. 2019):

11.5.1 Exfiltration of Encrypted Data

An organization unconsciously has an undermined machine that is being utilized by a malevolent on-screen character to exfiltrate information. The malignant character is encoding the information to prevent location. The information security arrangement will provide observation functionality to help identify the breach. The arrangement will likewise tell the security group of the movement and react according to the method that will stop the exfiltration of information.

11.5.2 Lance Phishing Campaign

Because of a lance phishing effort, a pernicious on-screen character can see and control a database. Restricted information stored in the database is uncovered. The information security arrangement will check with the security group to ascertain that information has been obtained or potentially exfiltrated (Blum et al. 2010). The arrangement will likewise react with activities that promptly end access for the malevolent on-screen character.

11.5.3 Ransomware

A user takes ransomware casually and is this indicating the substance to restrictive documents from the representative's organization's record server and interest for cash to quit getting to and sharing documents (O'Gorman et al. 2012). The information classification arrangement will observe and log actions to decide the degree and seriousness of an information breach. The outcomes from the checking arrangement will inform the appropriate reaction to cease the information leak.

11.5.4 Accidental Email

Sometimes a user accidentally copies an email to someone who ought not to have access to the email connection, as it contains restricted data. There is a chance of the user misusing the data they received accidentally is a major security threat.

11.5.5 Lost Laptop

A client loses their laptop which contains their organization's restricted data. The information may become public and confidentiality may be breached.

11.5.6 Privilege Misuse

A worker, utilizing director authorizations, accesses information for individual gain. The representative prints a few sensitive records and afterwards exfiltrates the rest of the information. The security arrangement will likewise react with appropriate activities to quickly prevent the record from being accessed. The time and procedure required to reestablish the record will be dictated by the arrangement.

11.5.7 Eavesdropping

An external on-screen character bargains with an organization's system and commandeers correspondence by means of a man-in-the-middle assault, bringing about a data breach. The information classification arrangement will identify the unapproved access and react appropriately to prevent further access.