Assessment and security issues in cloud computing services

Abstract

This paper focuses on the security level of some Cloud Computing services and the impact of each vulnerability on them, plus methods and directions to mitigate or fully eliminate the corresponding risks. It describes these vulnerabilities and explores potential solutions for safer use of some of the most used and popular services such as Salesforce, Dropbox, Flickr, CloudMe and iCloud. With the use of open-source and other scanning tools, vulnerabilities and "holes" of these cloud services are exposed. The suggested solutions, not only help to prevent the damage, but also make the services more efficient and secure overall. This case study has two objectives. The first is to identify and understand the different types of vulnerabilities and their impact on the specific cloud environments. The second objective is to analyze and propose methods and means for effective handling and damage control.