How to Mitigate the Security Risks Associated with the Public Cloud

February 20, 2015 Off By David

Grazed from InfoSecurity. Author: Amit Cohen.

Cloud computing, with its promise of reduced CAPEX and OPEX, presents a compelling business case. In IaaS, computation resources are rented from a cloud service provider (CSP). There is no server hardware or software to purchase and maintain, and organizations benefit from reduced IT expenses and improved flexibility. Enterprises have fewer IT headaches to deal with and can focus on their core business.

However, the possibility of security breaches has made the public cloud model risky. Here’s the problem: If I can access my virtual servers remotely, anyone else can access them, too. Threats include denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, whereby a bombardment of messages takes down the virtual server; data theft, whereby sensitive data is accessed through a security breach; and hijacking, whereby intruders use your virtual server to attack third parties…

“Now, wait a minute,” one might say. “I’ve signed on with an industry-leading public cloud provider. I’m sure they are aware of the threats and will provide the required solution, right?”…

Read more from the source @ http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/mitigate-security-risks-public/