Cloud Computing Security: Principles, Protocols, and Practices

This book provides a comprehensive guide to securing cloud computing environments, combining foundational concepts, practical protocols, and emerging trends. It begins by introducing cloud computing, its deployment (Public, Private, Hybrid, Community) and service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), highlighting security challenges such as data breaches, insider threats, and account hijacking, alongside regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO standards. Core security principles-including confidentiality, integrity, availability, IAM, encryption, and the shared responsibility model-are explained in depth. Technical protocols such as firewalls, VPNs, SSL/TLS, IPsec, SAML, and OAuth 2.0 are discussed, alongside monitoring strategies using SIEM and threat intelligence. Practical practices cover secure configuration, patch management, incident response, data privacy, and automation through DevSecOps. The book concludes with emerging trends, focusing on multi-cloud and hybrid environments, IoT/edge security, Zero Trust architecture, and AI/ML applications, emphasizing continuous innovation and proactive strategies for future-ready cloud security.