Cloud Privacy and Security: Threats and Risks to Employee Data

Running head: CLOUD PRIVACY AND SECURITY
Cloud Privacy and Security
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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CLOUD PRIVACY AND SECURITY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Cloud Computing.............................................................................................................................2
1.1 Existing threats to security of employee data............................................................................5
1.2 New threats to security of employee data..................................................................................7
1.3 Severity of risk to security employee data.................................................................................8
2.1 Existing threats to privacy of employee data.............................................................................9
2.2 New Threats to privacy of employee data...............................................................................11
2.3 Severity of risk to privacy employee data...............................................................................12
3. Digital Identity issues................................................................................................................13
4. Provider Issues...........................................................................................................................15
5. Data Sensitivity Issues...............................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................19
References......................................................................................................................................21

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Introduction
Cloud computing has been emerging in large context in the IT field. The services
provided by the cloud computing have been beneficial for every organization in the market. The
cloud has been providing platform for various advance technologies in the market. The cloud
computing has been creating opportunities for various organizations in their growth in the
market. Various cloud computing service models including SaaS, PaaS and IaaS have been
implementing in the organization for developing business in the market (Almorsy, Grundy &
Muller 2016). The use of cloud computing services have beneficial for the organization. The
services are flexible and easily accessible for any part of the world. Cloud computing has been
providing services to both online and offline services in the companies. This technology has
enabled on-demand services to the customers and users of the cloud. Therefore this has gained
more attention in market. Cloud computing is mainly used for the data storage purposes. Large
amount of data and information of cloud users are stored over the cloud storage through internet.
Therefore, security of data and information is an important aspect for the cloud computing
services and providers. There have been many cases of cyber breaches in various companies.
This report deals with cyber issues in the Charity that helps in improving
accommodation, mental health and training to society. The security and privacy of employee
data, digital identity issues, and provider solution issues and data sensitivity have been discussed
in the report. A proper risks management process has been followed with the cloud deployment
models.

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Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing is a concept that has helped in storing data and information of
organizations and users over the internet. This services have helped in providing a variety of
benefits to the organizations related to the storage of the data and information (Saa, Moscoso-
Zea, Costales, & Luján-Mora, 2017). Cloud computing have helped in maintaining a flexible and
accessible approach to the cloud users. There are various deployment models of the cloud
computing that have been discussed below:
Public Cloud: Public clouds refers to providing services to an organization and users
publically. The access privacy of the cloud services has been public in this case. Therefore, data
and information stored in this model will be publically accessed to other memory in the
organizations. Therefore, the security level of the model has been very low (Puthal, Sahoo &
Swain, 2015). The physical infrastructure of this model is designed by the cloud service
provider in the market. However, it helps in providing a large space for storing data and
information over the cloud.
Private Cloud: Private clouds that are designated to private organizations are providing a
single tenant service to users. Therefore, any assigned users will be able to access stored data
and information in cloud. The use of the private cloud has been used for storing legal and
private documents of the companies over the cloud. Therefore, the security level of the cloud
model is higher than other models of cloud (Singh & Chatterjee, 2017). The limited access to
people have helped in providing a security articles in the cloud ensuring the security in data ad
information stored in it. However, this model provides a standardized protection to data with
respect to scalability and size. This model provide complete control over the data and
information stored in the cloud.

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Hybrid cloud: Hybrid cloud include both public and private cloud in the market.
Therefore, it has both attributes of private and public cloud models. It allows transitive
information exchange with portability. However, with the use of hybrid cloud, service provider’s
helps in using third party interdependence in the cloud services (Rittinghouse & Ransome,
2016). The maintenance of the hybrid cloud have been easy than there two cloud models.
There are various cloud service delivery models that are discussed below:
Software as a Service (SaaS): Cloud users and there companies have been running
applications and software over the cloud in the SaaS. This service helped in providing access to
several applications and programs that are high in cost. This service helps in providing it in rent
on monthly basis. Cloud users abs organization can use software and applications as per their
need and there is no need to buy an expensive application (Saa, Moscoso-Zea, Costales, &
Luján-Mora, 2017). Therefore, it has helped in minimizing the initial cost of users and
organizations in the market. The use if the SaaS has been used by most if the companies
including the Charity. Cloud users do not have to maintain and control software and programs in
the SaaS. This model helps in minimizing the cost of the software including operating system,
network, servers and storage.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): This model describes about a layer of software and
environment that helps in maintaining a deployed area for the users over the cloud. This model
is responsible for providing platforms for deployment of various applications in the organization
(Modi et al. 2013). Various applications including Java, Python and .net. PaaS providers helps in
offering predefined operating systems and application servers, including LAMP (Linux, Apache,
MySql and PHP) platform, restricted J2EE, and Ruby.

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Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This model helps in providing basic storage and
computing capabilities over the network (Albaroodi, Manickam & Singh, 2014). Different
networks, systems, servers and other computing equipment are provided by the cloud model on
rent. Therefore, the buying cost of the infrastructure becomes low.
1.1 Existing threats to security of employee data
Various organizations including The Charity used to upload their documents and data
over the internet. The use of cloud computing has been helping in storing professional and
private of the organization. The employee data and information of the Charity has been
uploaded over the cloud. The company is also using the SaaS for getting benefit of the services.
However, there have been various security issues in the employee data of the Charity. There are
various protocols that ensure data security over the cloud including FTP, HTTPS and SCP
(Ramachandra, Iftikhar & Khan, 2017). However, these protocols are not able to maintain
security of the employee data. The cloud security threats have been already faced by the Charity
in order to secure employee data over the cloud. There are several existing issues related to the
employee data in the Charity. These security issues have been discussed below:
Confidentiality: This is one of existing cloud security issues related to the employee data.
This threat mainly occur inside the organization. The services are flexible and easily accessible
for any part of the world. This threat has been already existing in the Charity. The delivery of
cloud services are hampered by this threat. There are various middles that can be affected by this
security issue including the SaaS. Software and programs provided by the SaaS has been leaked
out if the company that have been creating loss to the business (Kshetri, 2013). The employee
data has been leaked by the insider attack causing loss of privacy of employee. There are various
security breaches due to the confidential breach. The use of cloud computing services have