Security Criteria: Building an Internal Cloud

As discussed in previous chapters, public clouds offer ease of data access and compelling financial incentives. However, private clouds allow greater flexibility in defining cloud services and increased security in terms of physical control of information resources. Of course, the actual advantages one can expect to gain with a private cloud are limited by the cloud's scale and by how the enterprise manages it. That is why building a private cloud within budget and with results that enable security requires planning and an understanding of what to expect when the cloud is in operation. With that in mind, this chapter examines security considerations geared toward those who intend to develop and deploy their own private cloud. In addition to reviewing several of the primary motivations for building a private cloud, the chapter also examines many security criteria that will be involved in building and deploying a private cloud.