ITS 532 Cloud Computing: Analysis of Potential Security Risks

This essay examines potential security risks associated with cloud computing, focusing on Denial of Service (DoS), Man-in-the-Middle (MITM), and malware injection attacks. It details how attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in cloud environments to disrupt services, steal user credentials, and inject malicious code. The essay justifies the potential threats by outlining the consequences of each attack, such as ineffective services, data breaches, and compromised user security. Furthermore, it explains the underlying causes of these attacks, including architectural weaknesses, lack of user security awareness, and insufficient security measures in cloud deployments. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of robust security mechanisms to protect cloud servers and data, highlighting that while cloud computing enhances business efficiency, it also introduces significant security challenges that must be addressed proactively.

Running head: CLOUD COMPUTING
ITS 532 Module Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture
Name of the student:
Name of the University:

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Introduction
In this new era of technology cloud computing has become one of the most widely using
technical support for both medium and large size businesses. This technology increases the
complete business efficiency with reliability, flexibility scalability and security as well.
However lack of concern in some of the components of cloud computing technology may cause
severe risks also. The potential risks that may occur while using the cloud services are elaborated
in this essay. In addition to this, the consequences of each attack are also developed and lastly
the reasons for which theses threats may occur are elaborated in this essay.
Discussion
Potential types of risks
Denial of services: The attack known as Denial of Services (DOS) is used by the
attackers to prevent the users from accessing a particular server they wants to access. However in
case of cloud computing technology this attack acts is a nasty way (Han, Chan, Alpcan &
Leckie, 2015). In this attack the hackers keep on sending excessive messages requesting the
authenticated server to accept the message request. While sending an approval for authentication
the address of the network or server will not be found. It causes the server to wait before the
connection gets close.
Man in the middle attack: In this attack the attackers manipulate or theft the
synchronization token of the users. These attacks take place through hit of malware ether by
website or email. After that the attackers get access of the local files of the users (Ali, Khan &

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Vasilakos, 2015). Then the actual synchronized token gets replaced and the attackers get chance
of accessing the data stored in the cloud server.
Malware injection attack: This attack is focused on adding or injecting a service
implementation or an evil virtual machine to cloud computing environment. The attackers use
this attack to get access on users data stored in the cloud server (Gupta & Badve, 2017). The
attackers can upload crafted images in the cloud environment of the victims.
Justification of the potential threats
DOS attack potential threats
Ineffective services
Inaccessible services
Interruption of network traffic
Connection interference
Man in the middle attack potential threats
IP of machines can be misused
DNS spoofing can occur
HTTP spoofing
SSL, WIFI, email can also be hacked
Malware injection attack potential threats

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Data will be hacked and misused from the user’s cloud server
Security of the users will be compromised
Potential causes for the attacks
DOS attack prevention is not an easy job. For cloud computing this attack causes because
the cloud architecture design keeps on adding more computational power within their design
which basically makes the attack must stronger. The DOS attack becomes more powerful when
it takes place in the cloud environment (Wang, Zheng Lou & Hou, 2015). This particular
problem has further provoked while DDOS comes in visualization as a more machines can be
comprised for attacking large numbers of systems.
Man in the middle attack causes due to lack of security concern of the users. In other
words, when, an outside entity intercepts the communication of different systems then man in the
middle attack causes.
Due to lack security concern the attacks of malware injection can taken placed in the
users cloud environment.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it can be concluded that though cloud computing technology
increases the business effectiveness and business efficiency but at the same many security issues
are also associated to this approach. Therefore, while using the technology the users are need to
posses proper security mechanism as well to protect their complete server and stored data within
the server as well.

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References
Ali, M., Khan, S. U., & Vasilakos, A. V. (2015). Security in cloud computing: Opportunities and
challenges. Information sciences, 305, 357-383.
Gupta, B. B., & Badve, O. P. (2017). Taxonomy of DoS and DDoS attacks and desirable defense
mechanism in a cloud computing environment. Neural Computing and
Applications, 28(12), 3655-3682.
Han, Y., Chan, J., Alpcan, T., & Leckie, C. (2015). Using virtual machine allocation policies to
defend against co-resident attacks in cloud computing. IEEE Transactions on
Dependable and Secure Computing, 14(1), 95-108.
Wang, B., Zheng, Y., Lou, W., & Hou, Y. T. (2015). DDoS attack protection in the era of cloud
computing and software-defined networking. Computer Networks, 81, 308-319.