Special security considerations

Security concerns are one of the primary hindrances to large-scale adoption of cloud computing today. When you move applications to the cloud, you cannot rely on traditional security measures as you are no longer in control. You tend to gain a sense of security because the networking and infrastructure hardware is managed by world-class security practices.

As with all applications, the greater the surface area that is exposed, the greater the chances of exposing a security vulnerability. Most cloud technologies and services are exposed as endpoints rather than in-memory communication pathways. This increases the surface area that may potentially be exploited.

With hybrid data storage, it is normally good practice to only place less critical data on the cloud and leave all sensitive data on-premises, where you have total control over access.

Tip

If storing sensitive data on the cloud, you should consider some form of encryption mechanism.

Providing a first-class...