There are basically two types of computing environments:
On-premises computing is the conventional type of computing in which you or your business own and manage your own systems. All the programs you use, together with your data files, are in on an in-house local area network on individual PCs or in your own computers in your own premises.
By comparison, in cloud computing, files and your programs are held on the Internet (in cyberspace) in a network of servers that is operated by a third party. You access applications and work on your own files from your PC simply by logging on to the network.
Cloud services are provided by cloud -hosting providers, companies such as Google, Amazon, Oracle Cloud, Rackspace, Microsoft Azure, and so on.
There is nothing fundamentally new regarding the idea of cloud services. If you are using Gmail, Hotmail or yahoo for your emails, you are using cloud services and likely have been for years.
What is relatively new is the kinds of services that are being offered in a cloud-environment. These now go far beyond email to cover all the IT services that an on-premises computing environment would provide, such as bookkeeping, marketing, human resources and so forth.
Advantages of cloud computing
Cloud computing has several advantages over on-premises computing:
1) You can run an application or get your files from any place on the planet using any computer.
2) Cloud computing is cheaper.
3) You need less technical knowledge.
4) Cloud computing delivers a better performance.
5) Cloud computing is scalable. Increasing the quantity of the quantity of data you store or programs will not demand a significant investment; you only have to guide the cloud-hosting adviser.
Given these advantages it no surprise that over the last couple of years there really has been a prevalent high-speed adoption of cloud computing. Analysts estimate that the growth rate of all spending on cloud it'll soon be at least four times more rapid than the growth rate of all spending on on-assumptions computing.
The short answer is that cloud computing isn't safe than on -premises computing. However, the risks are somewhat different in nature, though they are converging.
Threats
Generally speaking, there are six major threats to computer security. These are:
Malware - is malicious software for example worms, trojans, viruses, spyware and zombies. Malware is installed on either a cloud computing server or a PC in your home-office.
Web app assault - is an assault in which web-based programs are targeted. It is among the very typical forms of attack online.
Brute force attack - works by trying all possible combinations of numbers or letters so as to find a cipher or secret key. For example, you may crack a password by attempting to imagine it. Speed and modern computing power makes brute force a viable type of assault.
Recon - is reconnaissance activity that is used to choose victims which are both vulnerable and valuable.
Susceptibility scan - is an exploit using a unique application to access weaknesses in computers, systems, networks or applications so as to generate advice for planning an attack.
App assault - is an attack against an application or service which is not running on the net, ie the software will be on a computer somewhere.
Honeypots
A honeypot is a decoy website, network, system or program which has been intentionally designed to be exposed to attack. The honey pot's goal is always to collect information about attackers as well as the way they work.
Honeypots allow researchers to:
identify the sources of attacks including details of researchers' addresses
Determine how best to counteract them and how assaults takes place
Determine attack signatures (pieces of code which are distinctive to specific pieces of malware) that anti virus software can recognize them develop defenses against threats that are specific
Honeypots have proved to be invaluable in erecting defenses against hackers.
In cloud computing, the service provider is responsible for the basics, for protecting the computing environment. But the customer is 100% responsible for what happens within that environment and, he or she needs to have some technical knowledge to ensure security.
Conclusion
Advertisements by cloud providers seem to indicate that cloud computing is not more dangerous than an on-premises computing. This is simply false. Both environments seem to be safe or unsafe viz-a-viz hackers and their malicious programs.
Strikes in the cloud are increasing as possible goals are getting to be more 'theft-worthy'. Thus, the security in the cloud needs to be just as robust as security in on-premises environments. However, it's impossible to rely completely on antivirus software vendors to find all attacks.
Your best bet is so to enter a yearly maintenance contract with a web-based computer care firm that can periodically get your computer(s) from a remote place and ensure that it is protected in addition to possible. This shouldn't cost more than EUR120 to EUR150 a year depending on the number of computers you've got.