A Multi-layered Cloud Protection Framework

Cloud computing has many commercial advantages; however, companies tend to avoid trusting cloud service providers (CSPs) with their sensitive data because of the associated risks. Cloud infrastructures can be vulnerable due to a single flaw in any node with networking, computing, storage and authentication services capabilities, which can result in the exposure of vulnerabilities with severe consequences. This paper reviews various recent articles and determines the most prominent security challenges. The paper also includes the critical analysis of existing solutions to determine their limitations. Using these identified limitations, a multi-layered security framework is proposed that can be integrated within cloud components to resolve data, virtualization, access control, insiders and service unavailability challenges. A theoretical evaluation of the framework is also conducted to explore its benefits.