Future Trends in Cloud Computing

Abstract

Combination of locally intelligent devices with backend Cloud-based processing is giving rise to a new class of edge or fog Cloud Computing, which offers new usage models, but also raises potential of new vulnerabilities with possibility of widespread cyberattacks. There are additional concerns of user lock-ins if vendors don’t follow interoperability standards in their edge-based devices in proprietary Cloud solutions. Additional issues of user-data privacy and legal jurisdiction currently lag the fast evolution of edge computing domain with IoT-based solutions. This requires policy framework to be discussed by vendors and Cloud service providers with the users for avoiding any legal pitfalls.

We look at security issues in edge computing, an example of IoT-based Cloud service, hardware as the root of trust, and security in the multi-party cloud. New topics of privacy-preserving multi-party analytics in a Public Cloud, hardware-based security using Intel’s SGX technology, and homomorphic encryption topics are discussed. Lastly, contemporary topics of software patches and using machine learning for security improvements are presented.

Above trends are likely to continue as networks will become faster and machines will become more intelligent to recognize patterns of data to make decisions. In this evolution, it is important to develop standards for interoperability of computing devices on the edge and servers on the back end, to ensure a level playing field.