CLOUD COMPUTING: SECURITY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Cloud storage is defined as "the storage of data online in the cloud," wherein a company's data is stored in and accessible from multiple distributed and connected resources that comprise a cloud. Although cloud service providers implement the best security standards and industry certifications, storing data and important files on external service providers always opens up risks. Using cloud-powered technologies means you need to provide your service provider with access to important business data. Meanwhile, being a public service opens up cloud service providers to security challenges on a routine basis. The ease in procuring and accessing cloud services can also give nefarious users the ability to scan, identify and exploit loopholes and vulnerabilities within a system. For instance, in a multi-tenant cloud architecture where multiple users are hosted on the same server, a hacker might try to break into the data of other users hosted and stored on the same server. The following paper deals with the service models of cloud computing along with types of cloud computing & characteristics of cloud. Further challenges and security issues in cloud computing is also discussed and at last conclusion and future demand for research in the field of cloud computing.