SECURITY CHALLENGES IN CLOUD COMPUTING

Cloud computing has become a fundamental part of modern information technology by providing scalable, flexible, and cost-effective computing resources over the internet. Despite its widespread adoption across various sectors, it introduces several critical security challenges that affect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This research focuses on identifying and analyzing major security issues in cloud computing, including data breaches, insider threats, insecure APIs, multi-tenancy risks, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The study combines a comprehensive literature review with a survey-based analysis to understand both technical vulnerabilities and user perspectives. The findings reveal that data security and lack of user awareness are the primary concerns among cloud users. Additionally, limited trust in cloud service providers and insufficient knowledge of security mechanisms further increase the risk of cyber threats. The research also highlights challenges faced in developing regions, such as poor infrastructure and lack of regulatory frameworks. Based on the findings, the study suggests improving user awareness, adopting advanced security models, and strengthening cloud governance policies. Overall, this work provides valuable insights into cloud security challenges and emphasizes the need for effective solutions to ensure safe cloud adoption.