CSA Guide to Cloud Computing – Now Available

By Jim Reavis, Executive Director CSA (Twittter @jimreavis); Brian Honan, President CSA Chapter Ireland (Twitter @BrianHonan); and Raj Samani, Chief Innovation Officer CSA & EMEA CTO Intel Security (Twitter @Raj_Samani)

We are pleased to announce the availability of “CSA Guide to Computing: Implementing Cloud Privacy and Security.” The first of its kind for the CSA, this book aims to incorporate as much of the excellent research conducted by the CSA community into one single publication. Not only does it incorporate research from within the CSA community but also the latest information across the industry relating to threats and measures that can be used to protect those using or considering using the cloud.

In 2014, we witnessed a number of attacks that led to headlines declaring that the cloud is not a safe platform to host data. The reality is that such a conclusion is not so binary; therefore, this publication aims to dispel some of these myths and provides real, practical information on how someone can leverage a Cloud Service Provider, whilst managing the risk to a level that they and their customers would be comfortable with.

So what does the book entail?

The following defines how the book is structured:

• Chapter One: We start with a view into what the cloud actually is, the various models, and also consider the benefits and role it plays within the internet economy.
• Chapter Two: A practical guide into how to select and engage with a Cloud Service Provider, this looks at the available mechanisms to measure the security deployed by prospective providers.
• Chapter Three: A view into the top threats to cloud computing that will include references to CSA research as well as third parties that have evaluated the threat landscape.
• Chapter Four: Analysis into the top threats associated with mobile computing for the cloud.
• Chapter Five: Building security into the cloud – Following two chapters considering the threats to cloud computing, we will turn our focus to the steps that end customers need to consider in order to make the move to the cloud.
• Chapter Six: Certification standards for cloud computing – Whilst the previous chapter presents the security controls to mitigate the threat, the reality is that for many end customers their ability to influence the security measures will be limited. Indeed, even the level of transparency into the controls deployed will be limited. This is why cloud certifications will be so important, they are used more and more as the vehicle to provide assurance regarding the security deployed by providers to potential customers.
• Chapter Seven: The Privacy imperative – The discussion about privacy associated within the cloud is one of the most contentious issues within technology. This chapter will consider the overall debate, and provide mechanisms for both providers, and end customers to address many of these concerns.
• Chapter Eight: CSA Research topics – As mentioned earlier, our intention is to provide a singular reference for all CSA research. This chapter will provide the reader with an overview of the various working groups within the CSA, and details of their current findings.
• Chapter Nine: Dark Clouds, managing security incidents in the cloud – With corporate resources now stored, and managed (to some extent) by third parties, the need to have a strong security incident management policy is imperative. This chapter will recommend the steps required to address the fundamental question; what happens when something does go wrong?
• Chapter Ten: The Future Cloud – Cloud computing is evolving, and this chapter considers its role within critical national infrastructure, as well what will be required to secure such critical assets. It is intended to provide a view into the components required to secure the cloud of tomorrow.

We hope you enjoy the book and find the information contained as useful in your journey into the cloud.

The CSA Guide to Cloud Computing is available in Paperback and Kindle versions and can be found here on Amazon.