Essay Sample: Cloud-Application Service

Currently, many cloud-application service providers encrypt data with keys of the same size regardless of the sensitivity of the information that they contain. This method means that if a hacker manages to access information in the server, he or she can do that and access all the data that the system contains (Tawalbeh et al. 2015). This paper proposes that it is crucial to have a system that classifies data according to its sensitivity, required confidentiality, and size; and then use keys of different sizes. The system should also ensure that it receives data from the intended sender and transmits information to the correct recipient. Without focussing on these issues, people will have low trust in these systems, and this factor will affect the adoption of this technology.
This paper will address the security challenges that cloud applications face using the following methods:

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• It will describe the development of a system that has implemented better encryption of data based on its type and sensitivity.
• It will develop a system that can detect attacks such as the dedicated denial of service attack, and provide a method of evading it.
• It will seek to implement a system that implements better authentication methods to ensure that data ends up in the intended recipient.

Literature ReviewCloud applications refer to online-based systems that a business may use to store its data and use it in its computations. These systems offer highly developed systems that are either Infrastructure, platforms, or software to their clients to use according to their needs. Specifically, the three types of cloud applications are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which refers to a system that uses the web in providing the service of a business to its clients (Jathanna & Jagli, 2017). The clients do not need to install or download any software, except the plugins that their web browsers will need. Since this system does not install any software on the client's computer, it is accessible from devices of any architecture, and its maintenance is easy.

Providers can also offer their systems in the form of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), whereby the client gets middleware on which they build their systems (Jathanna & Jagli, 2017). These Infrastructures are usually in the form of hardware that clients will use to develop their services. Finally, these systems can be in the form of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), whereby clients design and build their networks without having to worry about the Infrastructure. In this case, a client hires the platform from a provider and uses it to develop an appropriate application that they need. These services make cloud applications to be better appealing to clients compared to using offline systems.

The mode of deployment of a cloud application can be divided into four distinct sections. These deployment models are public, private, community, and hybrid. In the case of a private system, its Infrastructure is owned and maintained by the organisation that it serves (Padma & Neelima, 2014). A public model refers to a system that is served over the internet from a third-party provider, and they serve clients that are different from the providers. The community deployment model refers to a system that belongs to a group of organisations or entities that have similar interests. Finally, a hybrid model incorporates any two of the other models.

The security of cloud applications is a matter of great concern. The importance of this issue reveals itself by considering the amount of money that companies that handle information spend on security systems. A secure system is one that ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability (Kumar, Raj & Jelciana 2018). Many authors that focus on this area show the importance of methods, such as encryption of data in storage (Hamlen et al. 2010). Others show the importance of having reliable authentication systems that will only allow authorized users to access the applications (Rao & Selvamani, 2015). When focussing on this area, Sabir (2018) says that service providers typically allocate a significant amount of resources into building robust systems for securing data and ensuring that only authenticated users access it.

Cloud service providers usually need to focus on a broader view of the security of their systems. Some of the potential threats that face these online-based systems arise from the way that they conduct their operations. Specifically, they take the data of their clients, and therefore, there is a need to ensure they cannot access and use it without the permission of their clients (Sasikala & Annamalai, 2018). Specifically, the information that they host should only be accessible to the rightful owners.