Cloud Computing
Among the described and considered security dimensions, Kumar and Goyal put forward several potential threats related to both the system in general and the layered stacked model. However, they also propose a list of necessary actions or directions of development that should help in eliminating the identified threats. Moreover, most of the two lists are correlated according to the available items: eleven security problems were compared with eleven potential solutions. Nevertheless, despite the wide range of suggested measures, not all of them fully reveal and solve the shortcomings of the security system. Some solutions are indicated in a too general manner, for example, “security measures in network communication.” Naturally, protecting data in the data transmission path during transit through firewalls and other points will solve some of the tasks. However, the direct connection of this method with the existing problems is not indicated.
Thus, the list of unsolved problems includes denial of service, weak identity management, advanced persistent threats, usage of cloud services in an abusive way. The issues indicated, which do not have a solution, have one common feature: they require a specific approach. The authors, however, designate solutions that are too general. Even if these problems can be solved within the framework of the proposed measures, this will require a more explicit statement of the problem. For example, in the case of advanced persistent threats, it is necessary not only to secure the system from possible intrusions but also to analyze those areas that can be attacked to strengthen them specifically. On the other hand, weak identity management refers to the user side since insecure or weak authentication data can be much more susceptible to theft. However, protecting users from such attacks is a responsibility of a company, which must, in such cases, exclude the possibility of creating weak identities at the registration stage.
Fortunately, the existing literature partially contains answers to the questions presented. For example, the denial of service (DoS) attacks are discussed by Somani et al., Who discuss in detail the factors in choosing techniques to eliminate these problems. Nevertheless, there is still a rather long list of the issues requiring attention and detailed study.
Mobile Cloud Computing
Mobile technologies at the moment are in many ways similar to conventional computer technologies. However, there are several security problems inherent only to mobile specifics, including the extremely limited amount of stored data compared to a PC, insufficient power of processors that process data, and limited battery power. These three components lead to the formation of the leading security problems that Zhang, Zhang, and Guo seek to solve by introducing the secure architecture of Mobile Cloud Computing. However, even the use of such a solution and the one proposed by Roy et al. the authentication architecture does not solve all the problems.
First of all, the architecture of Mobile Cloud Computing is designed to transfer as many responsibilities as possible to the server-side. The imposition of most of the procedures for processing and storing information on servers allows eliminating the instability of the connection and insufficient space on the phones. However, it doesn’t affect the issue of inadequate processing power. Even although only encrypted keys to access the server should be stored on the user’s phone, this method does not exclude the need for albeit rare but very resource-intensive data processing procedures. On the other hand, the approach of Roy et al., introducing a new type of authentication architecture, reduces the load on the processors of mobile devices. However, even considering such methods, the problem of insufficient security remains urgent due to the lack of protection solutions in this segment. Thus, the literature lacks a generic integrated user-side security solution as manufacturers have to balance security and performance.
Blockchain Technology
The combined use of cloud storage and blockchain technologies allows achieving very high levels of security due to the features of both systems. Decentralization, immutability and transparency are the main advantages of blockchain that have made it so attractive for use in banking transactions. However, using such technology in other areas is associated with several problems, from processing a huge amount of data to legislative contradictions. Since the technology is new, the current literature does not yet have a complete solution for some of the identified difficulties.
For example, using blockchain to store medical data is hampered by the amount of data required for processing. Although such an approach would allow rapid exchange of information over a secure channel, the system’s structure was not originally designed to transfer a large amount of data. The solution to this problem at the moment does not seem realistic without making any large-scale changes to the structure of the blockchain itself or increasing the performance of all devices involved in this technology. On the other hand, transparency and the impossibility of deletion are contrary to some privacy laws, according to which any digital traces of a person on the Internet must be removed at their request. This conflict of architecture and legislation also cannot be resolved without significant structural changes on one side or another. When introducing technology into other spheres of human life, other problems can also arise. However, each such interaction must be considered separately and in a specific context.