ISC CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Representational State Transfer (REST) is a software architectural scheme that applies the components, connectors, and data conduits for many web applications used on the Internet. It uses and relies on the HTTP protocol and supports a variety of data formats.

The cloud service broker is responsible for obtaining new customers, analyzing the marketplace, and securing contracts and agreements.

Local, physical access in a data center is done via KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switches.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are commonly used to allow access into trust zones. Via a VPN, access can be controlled and logged and only allowed through secure channels by authorized users. It also adds an additional layer of encryption and protection to communications.

Many web applications offer redirect or forward pages that send users to different, external sites. If these pages are not properly secured and validated, attackers can use the application to forward users off to sites for phishing or malware attempts. These attempts can often be more successful than direct phishing attempts because users will trust the site or application that sent them there, and they will assume it has been properly validated and approved by the trusted application's owners or operators. Security misconfiguration occurs when applications and systems are not properly configured for security--often a result of misapplied or inadequate baselines. Insecure direct object references occur when code references aspects of the infrastructure, especially internal or private systems, and an attacker can use that knowledge to glean more information about the infrastructure. Sensitive data exposure occurs when an application does not use sufficient encryption and other security controls to protect sensitive application data.

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) encapsulates its information in what is known as a SOAP envelope and then leverages common communications protocols for transmission.

The standards put out by Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) primarily cover complex cabling designs and setups for data centers, but also include specifications on power, energy efficiency, and hot/cold aisle setups.

The guidelines from ASHRAE establish 64.4-80.6degF (18-27degC) as the optimal temperature for a data center.

The "store" phase of the cloud data lifecycle, which typically occurs simultaneously with the "create" phase, or immediately thereafter, is the first phase where security controls can be implemented. In most case, the manner in which the data is stored will be based on its classification.

The GLBA, as it is commonly called based on the lead sponsors and authors of the act, is officially known as "The Financial Modernization Act of 1999." It is specifically focused on PII as it relates to financial institutions. There are three specific components of it, covering various areas and use, on top of a general requirement that all financial institutions must provide all users and customers with a written copy of their privacy policies and practices, including with whom and for what reasons their information may be shared with other entities.

NIST Special Publications 800-145 is titled "The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing" and contains definitions and explanations of core cloud concepts and components.

The SOAP protocol does not support caching, whereas the REST API does.

Rapid elasticity allows a cloud environment to automatically add or remove resources to or from a system or application based on its current demands. Whereas a traditional data center model would require standby hardware and substantial effort to add resources in response to load increases, a cloud environment can easily and rapidly expand to meet resources demands, so long as the application is properly implemented for it.

Limits are put in place to enforce a maximum on the amount of memory or processing a cloud customer can use. This can be done either on a virtual machine or as a comprehensive whole for a customer, and is meant to ensure that enormous cloud resources cannot be allocated or consumed by a single host or customer to the detriment of other hosts and customers.

BIOS is the firmware that governs the physical initiation and boot up of a piece of hardware. If it is compromised, an attacker could have access to hosted systems and make configurations changes to expose or disable some security elements on the system.