Cloud computing security is the protection of the data, applications, services, and infrastructure used in a cloud environment, together with the controls and responsibilities that keep them protected. It is shared between the cloud provider and the customer, and the division depends on the service and the specific control.
What is cloud computing security?
This is a practical synthesis of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance, not a verbatim definition published by NIST. NIST defines cloud computing itself as a model for convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with little management effort or provider interaction. That definition describes how cloud resources are made available; cloud computing security concerns how those resources and the information they handle are protected.
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NIST identifies five essential cloud characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. It also distinguishes three service models—Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS)—and four deployment models: public, private, community, and hybrid cloud. These distinctions matter because the resources in use, and the people responsible for managing them, vary by model. NIST SP 800-145 (2011)
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What does cloud security cover?
Cloud security is not limited to a provider’s data centers. NIST’s cloud reference architecture treats security as cross-cutting, extending from physical security through application security. In practice, the protected environment can include the facilities and infrastructure supporting cloud services, the platforms and applications running on them, and the data those services store or process.
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- Infrastructure and services: the underlying resources and cloud components used to deliver a workload.
- Applications: the software and services that run in or are delivered through the cloud.
- Data: information handled by cloud services, including how access to it is controlled.
- Access controls: rules governing who or what can access a service component, and what actions they can take.
NIST’s reference architecture supports this cross-layer view and a shared-responsibility framing. NIST Cloud Computing Security Reference Architecture (2013)
How does cloud computing security work?
Cloud security works through controls applied across the cloud service stack and through operational decisions about who manages each control. The appropriate access-control focus changes with the service model: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS expose different components for providers and customers to manage. NIST puts the distinction plainly: “Different service delivery models require managing different types of access on offered service components.” NIST SP 800-210 (2020)
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NIST also explains that access-control guidance for lower-level service models can apply to the same functional components in higher-level models, while each model has its own focus and offered components. This is a model-level guide, not a universal chart assigning every responsibility across every provider. For a particular workload, the relevant service documentation and the control in question determine the allocation.
Who is responsible for cloud security?
Responsibility is shared between the cloud provider and the customer; adopting a cloud service does not automatically transfer every security duty to the provider. The exact division depends on the service model, the components involved, and the specific control. A useful way to assess responsibility is to identify the component or control first, then establish who operates it and who must configure, govern, or oversee it.
NIST SP 800-144 discusses security and privacy considerations when organizations outsource data, applications, and infrastructure to a public cloud. Its scope is public cloud, so its treatment should not be assumed to apply identically to private, community, or hybrid deployments. NIST SP 800-144 (2011)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is cloud computing secure?
The word “cloud” is not a security guarantee. Whether a cloud workload is adequately protected depends on the controls in place across its components and on whether the provider and customer each meet their responsibilities. A single measure—such as encryption, a security tool, or a provider certification—does not by itself establish that the entire workload is secure.
For an advanced perspective, NIST’s 2023 zero-trust model describes a move away from relying only on network location and toward identity-based access, including application and service identities in cloud-native and multi-cloud environments. NIST SP 800-207A (2023)
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