Cloud Hooks: Security and Privacy Issues in Cloud Computing

In meteorology, the most destructive extratropical cyclones evolve with the formation of a bent-back front and cloud head separated from the main polar-front, creating a hook that completely encircles a pocket of warm air with colder air. The most damaging winds occur near the tip of the hook. The cloud hook formation provides a useful analogy for cloud computing, in which the most acute obstacles with outsourced services (i.e., the cloud hook) are security and privacy issues. This paper identifies key issues, which are believed to have long-term significance in cloud computing security and privacy, based on documented problems and exhibited weaknesses.