Dimensions Of Security Threats In Cloud Computing: A Case Study

Even though cloud computing, as a model, is not new, organizations are increasingly implementing it because of its large-scale computation and data storage, flexible scalability, relative reliability, and cost economy of services. However, despite its rapid adoption in some sectors and domains, it is evident from research and statistics, that security-related threats are the most noticeable barrier to its widespread adoption. To investigate the reasons behind these threats, the authors used available literature to identify and aggregate information about IS security threats in cloud computing. Based on this information, the authors explored the dimensions of the nature of threat by interviewing a cloud computing practitioner in an organization that uses both the private and public cloud deployment models. From these findings, the authors found that IS security threats in cloud computing must be defined at different levels; namely, at the business and technical level, as well as from a generic and cloud-specific threat perspective. Based on their findings, the authors developed the Cloud Computing Threat Matrix (CCTM) which provides a two-dimensional definition of threat that enables cloud users to fully comprehend the concerns so that they can make relevant decisions while availing cloud computing services.