云计算(Cloud computing)是当今最热门的技术趋势之一。从简单的存储解决方案到完整的企业应用程序，大量计算正在向云迁移。
但随着我们的数据越来越多地保存在世界各地的远程服务器中，必须提出一个问题：云计算真的安全吗？
您的数据究竟是如何保存在云应用程序中的？其他人可以访问吗？云计算的安全风险是什么？这是一个全面的概述。
云计算101
通常，您的计算机只能在其硬件允许的情况下运行。如果您想要更多存储或处理能力，则必须升级您的 PC。但随着互联网连接成本的降低，出现了另一种选择——云。
云计算(basic premise of cloud computing)的基本前提非常简单。您无需在计算机上运行复杂的程序和存储文件，而是在远程服务器上运行它们。这个远程服务器叫做云，负责通过网络为你提供计算资源。
最明显的例子是云存储服务，如Google Drive 或 Dropbox(Google Drive or Dropbox)。这些云应用程序为您提供了可用于保存自己的文件的专用存储量。由于此存储不是来自您的 PC，因此即使您的个人计算机损坏或出现故障，这些文件也是安全的。
当然，这只是从基础开始。云(Cloud)服务远不止远程存储，它提供从网络托管到完全远程应用程序的所有内容。全球企业使用Microsoft Azure(Microsoft Azure)和Amazon AWS等服务来运行各种计算应用程序。
云计算的优势
云计算与传统应用程序相比有很多好处。
主要优点是冗余(redundancy)。由于任何技术问题、耗时的工作时间和重要信息，物理存储在单个个人设备上的数据可能会被清除。另一方面，云使用分布在不同地理位置的多个服务器，使得数据几乎不可能丢失。
第二大好处是可扩展性(scalability)。对于企业应用程序，获取更多计算资源来处理传统设置中的额外负载可能非常困难。它需要投资更多的硬件容量(hardware capacity)，而这些容量大部分时间都不会被使用。
借助云计算，应用程序可以在需要时请求更多资源，只需为使用的容量付费。这使得运行可扩展的应用程序非常具有成本效益，更不用说易于实施了。
云计算(Cloud Computing)的漏洞
我们已经看到了云计算的众多优势。从可访问性到冗余，使用云服务有很多好处。然而，与此同时，也有一些缺点。
主要关注(principal concern)的是数据安全。由于您的数据保存在可公开访问的服务器上，因此其安全性不在您自己手中。运行云服务(cloud service)（及其服务器）的公司可以完全控制您的信息。
在某种程度上，它比个人电脑更安全。单个硬件故障(hardware fault)不会危及您的整个数据。但同时，它也将信息暴露给外部威胁。入侵云服务器的黑客可能会泄露您的个人数据。
更令人担忧的是，您需要信任云服务提供商(cloud service provider)本身以尊重您的隐私。在这个大数据(Big Data)时代，这几乎是不可能的。科技巨头经常因侵犯他们有权访问的用户数据的隐私而受到抨击，这使得将重要信息存储在云上存在风险。
然后是甚至云服务也暴露在其中的安全漏洞。与任何 Web 服务一样，云计算可能会受到分布式拒绝服务(Distributed-Denial-of-Service)( DDoS ) 攻击，从而削弱其功能。这会强制受影响的服务下线，使您的应用程序在未知的时间段内不可用。
最小化风险
好的(Okay)，所以云计算很容易受到攻击。那么，解决方案是什么？您是否应该完全停止使用云服务？
当然不是。对于云计算(cloud computing)中固有的所有理论上的安全风险，它实际上是最安全的计算形式之一。由于云服务器上的冗余，故障点很少。
(Data loss or theft)云服务中的(cloud service)数据丢失或被盗需要一场灾难，而不是一杯洒出来的茶，这可能意味着存储在笔记本电脑上的信息的厄运。黑客通常也更难闯入，因为云服务(cloud service)提供商倾向于使用比 PC 更好的安全措施。
个人计算机也可能成为勒索软件攻击的牺牲品，这些攻击会锁定您的个人数据并要求以加密货币付款(demand payment)以允许您访问。其他恶意软件可以直接破坏所有文件，这使得云计算变得更加不可或缺。
为了提高您自己的数据安全性，可以使用加密。对于数据库和云存储服务，请在上传之前对您自己系统上的数据进行加密。对于在云之外运行的整个应用程序，请尝试允许您加密所(encrypt the information)使用信息的服务。这样，即使是黑客攻击或数据泄露也不会对您的私人数据造成风险。
云计算安全吗？
询问云计算是否安全就像询问航班是否是一种安全的旅行方式。从统计上讲，这是最安全的形式，当然，没有什么是完全没有风险的。
云(Cloud)计算最大的安全风险不是由黑客或技术故障造成的，而是由故意的管理不善造成的。云服务器的性质使得黑客很难进入，并且几乎保证了硬件故障的安全性。
唯一可以破坏云上数据的是服务提供商(service provider)本身。虽然像谷歌或亚马逊(Google or Amazon)这样的科技巨头已经在这个领域确立了自己作为值得信赖的公司的地位，但把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里从来都不是一个好主意。
使用透明的隐私政策(privacy policy)加密您的数据和信任云服务提供商等简单措施可以帮助保护您的文件和其他信息免遭不必要的访问。如果您睁大眼睛，就很容易降低云计算(cloud computing)的安全风险并享受它的好处。
What Are the Security Risks of Cloud Computing?
Сloud computіng is one of thе hottest teсhnology trends these days. Frоm simple storage solυtions to cоmplete enterprise applications, a lot of compυting is moving to the cloud.
But as our data is increasingly held in remote servers across the world, a question must be asked: is cloud computing really safe?
How exactly is your data held in cloud applications? Can it be accessed by others? What are the security risks of cloud computing? Here is a comprehensive overview.
Cloud Computing 101
Normally, your computer can only perform as well as its hardware lets it. If you want more storage or processing power, you have to upgrade your PC. But with the decreasing costs of internet connectivity came another option – the cloud.
The basic premise of cloud computing is quite simple. Instead of running complex programs and storing files on your machine, you run them on a remote server. This remote server is called the cloud and is responsible for providing you with computing resources through the network.
The most obvious examples of this are cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox. These cloud applications give you a dedicated amount of storage that you can use to keep your own files. As this storage does not come from your PC, these files are safe even if your personal computer gets corrupted or breaks down.
Of course, that is just scratching the basics. Cloud services go much further than just remote storage, offering everything from web hosting to entirely remote applications. Services like Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS are used by enterprises across the globe to run all kinds of computing applications.
The Advantages of Cloud Computing
There are many benefits of cloud computing vs traditional applications.
The primary advantage is redundancy. Data stored physically on a single personal device can be wiped out due to any technical issue, costing hours of work and important information. The cloud, on the other hand, uses multiple servers spread through various geographical locations making it virtually impossible for the data to just get lost.
The second big benefit is scalability. For enterprise applications, it can be very difficult to acquire more computing resources to handle extra load in traditional setups. It requires making an investment into more hardware capacity that would go unused most of the time.
With cloud computing, applications can request more resources as and when required, paying only for the capacity used. This makes running a scalable app very cost-efficient, not to mention easy to implement.
The Vulnerabilities of Cloud Computing
We have already seen the numerous advantages of cloud computing. From accessibility to redundancy, there are a lot of good points about using a cloud service. At the same time, however, there are a few drawbacks as well.
The principal concern is data security. As your data is held on a publicly accessible server, its security is not in your own hands. The company running the cloud service (and its servers) has complete control over your information.
In a way, it is more secure than a personal computer. A single hardware fault cannot jeopardize your entire data. But at the same time, it also exposes the information to outside threats. A hack that compromises the cloud servers can leak your personal data.
More concerningly, you need to trust the cloud service provider itself to respect your privacy. And in this age of Big Data, that is hardly a given. Tech giants have routinely come under fire for violating the privacy of user data they have access to, making it a risk to store important information on the cloud.
Then there are the security vulnerabilities even cloud services are exposed to. Like any web service, cloud computing can be subject to Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks that cripple its capabilities. This forces the affected service to go offline, making your application unavailable for an unknown period of time.
Minimizing Risk
Okay, so cloud computing is potentially vulnerable. What then, is the solution? Should you stop using cloud services completely?
Of course not. For all the theoretical security risks inherent in cloud computing, it is practically one of the most secure forms of computing. Thanks to the redundancies put in place on cloud servers, there are very few points of failure.
Data loss or theft from a cloud service requires a catastrophe, instead of a spilled cup of tea that might spell the doom of the information stored on your laptop. It is usually also harder for hackers to break in, as cloud service providers tend to use better security measures than a PC.
Personal computers can also fall prey to ransomware attacks, which lock up your personal data and demand payment in cryptocurrencies to allow you access. Other malware can just corrupt all files outright, which makes cloud computing even more indispensable.
To improve your own data security, encryption can be used. For databases and cloud storage services, encrypt the data on your own system before uploading. For entire applications running off the cloud, try services that allow you to encrypt the information used. That way, even a hack or a data leak poses no risk to your private data.
Is Cloud Computing Secure?
Asking if cloud computing is secure is like asking whether flights are a safe way to travel. Statistically speaking, it’s the safest form there is, though, of course, nothing is completely risk-free.
Cloud computing’s biggest security risks are posed not by hackers or technical faults, but rather by willful mismanagement. The nature of cloud servers makes it very difficult for hackers to get in, and virtually guarantees safety against hardware failures.
The only thing that can compromise data on the cloud is the service provider itself. And while tech giants like Google or Amazon have established themselves as trustworthy companies in this niche, putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea.
Simple measures like encrypting your data and trusting cloud service providers with a transparent privacy policy can help secure your files and other information from unwanted access. If you keep your eyes open, it’s easy to mitigate the security risks of cloud computing and enjoy its benefits.
