ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the essentials of cloud computing security, one of the main challenges of the field. The security challenges in cloud computing are not very different from those in traditional computing, except the cloud environment exacerbates the number of vulnerabilities and the impact of attacks. At the application level, a cloud application might have several weaknesses that allow an adversary to compromise a system. Vulnerabilities at the operating system level can also compromise cloud security. Encryption is commonly used to protect the confidentiality of cloud data. Asymmetric cryptography is commonly used as a digital signature mechanism in cloud environments. The multicloud environment offers plenty of new opportunities and avenues to cloud consumers. One of the main motivations underlying cloud computing systems is the possibility to outsource complex computation and to store large amounts of data. The biggest research challenge in cloud security is how cloud providers can assure a level of security to cloud clients.
