Cloud computing security

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cloud computing security
Prepared and Presented by :
 Student name : Maher Abdullah Al Ghamdi
ID : 441147908
 Student name : Ahmed Ali Al-Ghamdi
ID : 441147862
 Student name : Mohamed Odeh Al-Qaidi
ID : 441147880
Advisor: M. Ibrahim Al-Adeni

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Contents
Abstract ....................................................................................................................................3
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................3
Features of Cloud Model......................................................................................................5
Cloud Computing Categories ...............................................................................................6
Deployment Models of Cloud Computing ...............................................................................7
Important Security Issues in the Cloud ....................................................................................8
Objectives.................................................................................................................................9
Research Questions ................................................................................................................10
Literature Review...................................................................................................................10
Approach and Methodology...................................................................................................16
Interpretivism and Positivism.............................................................................................17
What is methodology?............................................................................................................17
Systematic Literature Review (SLR)..................................................................................17
Interviewing........................................................................................................................18
Focus Groups......................................................................................................................19
Qualitative method weaknesses..........................................................................................19
Ethical considerations.............................................................................................................19
Ensuring quality and integrity of research; ........................................................................19
Respect the confidentiality and anonymity of research respondents;.................................20
Ensuring participants will participate voluntarily; .............................................................20
Ensuring informed consent;................................................................................................20
Avoid harm to participants.................................................................................................20
Ensuring research is independent and impartial.................................................................21
Limitations & Delimitations...................................................................................................21
References ..............................................................................................................................22

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Abstract
Cloud computing has emerged as a novel technique recently. It
constitutes one of the great advancements in computing sciences. It
provides a lot of services and has added a new dimension in storing data.
In spite of such benefits and advantages, it is still facing a lot of security
issues and this has results in some problems. Such problems have raised
concerns over the security problems which have yielded big influences to
the development and popularization of cloud computing. Accordingly, an
urgent need for solving and addressing such issues are important. This
work of research addresses cloud computing and security issues. Also, a
review of past literature on the key security problems that face cloud
computing is provided. This paper focuses on some IT companies in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that provides cloud computing services.
Introduction
Currently one of the key theme of many information technology
discussions is cloud computing. What really preoccupies people now is
cloud computing security. Usually debates tend to concentrate on all
standard security advantages, disadvantages and requirements.
Nevertheless the fact the most common security measures protect data
from loss, unauthorized access, integrity disruption, etc., there are other
necessary and important characteristics of any IT infrastructure that must
implemented in a much more serious way. One of those structures is the
cloud infrastructure.
To begin with, it is important to define cloud computing. It is defined as
"an on-demand service model for IT provision based on virtualization and
distributed computing technologies. (Velev & Zlateva, 2011). It is also

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known that typical cloud computing providers deliver common business
applications online as services which are accessed from another web
service or software like a web browser,
Cloud security, also known as cloud computing security, is composed of
a group of policies, controls, procedures and technologies that work in an
integrative manner to safeguard cloud-based systems, data, and
infrastructure. These security measures are configured to protect cloud
data, support regulatory compliance and protect customers' privacy as
well as developing rules for authentication for individual users and
devices. From authenticating access to filtering traffic, cloud security can
be configured to meet the real requirements of the business. The
infrastructure is a service, and its components must be readily accessible
and available to the immediate needs of the application stacks it supports.
Cloud computing removes the traditional application silos within the data
center and provides a novel level of flexibility and scalability to the IT
organization. This sense of flexibility assists with tackling challenges
encountering enterprises and IT service providers that include rapidly
changing IT landscapes, cost reduction pressures, and focus on time to
market. Cloud users can fall under the following categories:
• Individual consumers;
• Individual businesses;
• Start-ups;
• Small and medium-size businesses;
• Several benefits are provided through enterprise businesses cloud
computing architectures as follows:

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• low cost as services are supplied on demand with pay-as-you-use billing
system;
• highly abstracted resources;
• instant scalability and flexibility;
• instantaneous provisioning;
• shared resources, such as hardware, database, etc.;
• programmatic management through API of Web services;
• increased mobility - information is accessed from any location
Features of Cloud Model
The Cloud Model is made up of five key features:
 On-demand self-service: A consumer can unilaterally provision
computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as
needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each
service provider.
 Broad network access: Capabilities are accessible across the network
using standard mechanisms that encourage the usage of diverse thin and
thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and
workstations).
 Resource pooling: Using a multi-tenant approach, the provider's
computing resources are pooled to serve numerous clients, with distinct
physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned based
on consumer demand. The customer has no control or knowledge of the
exact location of the delivered resources, but may be able to specify
location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or

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datacenter). Storage, computation, memory, and network bandwidth are
examples of resources.
 Rapid elasticity: Capabilities can be provisioned and released flexibly,
and in some circumstances automatically, to scale outward and inward in
response to demand. To the consumer, provisioning capabilities
frequently appear to be limitless, and they can be used in any quantity at
any time.
 Measured service: Cloud systems employ a metering capability (pay-
per-use basis) at a level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service to
automatically control and optimise resource use (e.g., storage, processing,
bandwidth, and active user accounts). The use of resources can be
tracked, managed, and reported, ensuring transparency for both the
provider and the user of the service.
Cloud Computing Categories
It is important to shed light on the different cloud computing categories
and how cloud development is done:
• Infrastructure as Service (IaaS): This type provides virtual machines and
other abstracted hardware and operating systems that may be handled
through a service API (API). IaaS encompasses the entire infrastructure
resource stack, from facilities to the hardware platforms that power them.
It includes the ability to abstract resources as well as the ability to
connect those resources physically and logically. IaaS provides a
collection of APIs that enable consumers to control and interact with the
infrastructure in various ways.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Customers can use APIs to create new
applications that can be implemented and operated remotely.

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Development tools, configuration management, and deployment
platforms are among the platforms available. PaaS sits on top of IaaS and
adds an extra layer of interaction with application development
frameworks and functionalities like database, messaging, and queuing,
allowing developers to build applications for the platform using
programming languages and tools that the stack supports.
 Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The capacity to offer processing,
storage, networks, and other core computing resources to the
customer, allowing the user to deploy and execute any software,
such as operating systems and applications. Although the customer
does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, he
or she does have control over operating systems, storage, and
deployed applications, as well as maybe limited control over some
networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
Deployment Models of Cloud Computing
 Community cloud: The cloud infrastructure is reserved for a
select group of customers from businesses with similar issues (e.g.,
mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance
considerations). It could be owned, managed, and administered by
one or more community organisations, a third party, or a mix of the
three and it could take place on or off premises.
 Public cloud: The cloud infrastructure is available to anyone who
wants to use it. A company, academic, or government entity, or a
combination of them, may own, manage, and run it. It is located on
the cloud provider's premises.

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 Hybrid cloud: The cloud infrastructure is made up of two or more
distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that
operate independently but are linked by standardized or proprietary
technology that allows data and application portability (e.g., cloud
bursting for load balancing between clouds).
Important Security Issues in the Cloud
Despite the fact that virtualization and Cloud Computing provide a
wide range of dynamic resources, security concerns are widely
seen as a major issue in the Cloud, causing consumers to be
hesitant to adopt the technology. The following are some of the
security concerns in the Cloud:
- Integrity: Integrity ensures that data stored in a system is a correct
representation of the data intended and has not been tampered with
by an authorized user. When any application is installed on a
server, a backup process is set up to ensure that data is protected in
the event of a data loss. Normally, the data will be backed up on a
regular basis to any portable medium and then kept in an off-site
location.
- Availability: Availability assures that unauthorised activity does
not render data processing resources unavailable. It is the simple
concept that when a user attempts to access something, it is
accessible. For mission-critical systems, this is crucial. Companies
must have business continuity plans (BCPs) in place to ensure that
these systems are available.
- Confidentiality: Confidentiality ensures that data is not shared
with anyone who isn't supposed to know. When data can be viewed
or read by anyone who is not authorized to have access to it,

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confidentiality is lost. Confidentiality can be breached either
physically or electronically. Through social engineering, physical
sensitive information is lost. When clients and servers do not
encrypt their communications, electronic confidentiality is lost.
Objectives
The main objectives of this research work are
- To tackle and address the security issues which affect the
performance of Cloud Computing in some Saudi companies.
- To analyse the current security and vulnerabilities of cloud
computing in an organisational perspective.
- To identify the current security techniques utilized in cloud
computing for preventative measures and to study its effectiveness
- To determine areas of improvement in the integrity and security of
cloud computing
From the above main objectives, the following sub-objectives can
be tackled, as well:
 To identify the future security challenges that could emerge
due to the developments in Cloud Computing.
 To suggest some counter measures for the future challenges
to be faced in Cloud Computing.

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Research Questions
No Research Questions Purpose
1 What security flaws exist in today's cloud
computing architecture, in particular in the
Saudi companies?
To identify current cloud
computing vulnerabilities and
security flaws.
2 What security measures are in place to prevent
data breaches and unauthorised access to the
cloud network?
To determine the existing
cloud security methods in use
and evaluate their efficacy.
3 What areas of cloud computing security need
to be strengthened?
To identify places where
cloud computing security
should be improved.
Literature Review
A lot of research has tackled cloud computing security. Information
technology has rapid changes in recent years. Cloud computing has added
more promising role of IT with the addition of storage for users. Cloud
computing has enabled the vendors to rent out their services at hourly
rates. They also rent out the space to users on their physical systems.
However, these services have several security threats for users. In a
report, Cloud Security Alliance revealed that abuse, insecure interfaces,
and nefarious usage were the vulnerable threats. These threats have been
associated with the application program interfaces and cloud computing.
Information security falls into three main objectives, such as integrity,
confidentiality, and availability. Security threats to these security goals
include a long-term confidentiality issue because one considers that
present and past encryption schema are not secure. Information leakage
vulnerability is another concern as data is outsourced. Tampering with
data also poses threats to data confidentiality.

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Numerous security mechanisms have been proposed by different
researchers. In this section we will provide the literature survey of work
done in this field.
According to Jan de Muijnck-Hughes (2011), Predicate Based Encryption
was offered as a security solution (PBE). PBE is a type of asymmetric
encryption that has its roots in Identity Based Encryption. This method
combines Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) and asymmetric
encryption, allowing for the creation of a single encryptor/multi decryptor
environment with a single scheme. This Predicate Based Encryption
focuses on both Platform as a Service and Software as Service
implementations. This proposed solution also protects cloud resident data
from undesired exposure, leaking, and other breaches of confidentiality.
Venkata Sravan et.al (2011) conducted a study titled "Security
Techniques for Protecting Data in the Cloud". The goal of this study is to
identify security concerns in Cloud computing and the suitable security
solutions that may be utilized to mitigate them. A total of 43 security
issues and 43 security approaches were discovered in the study.
Confidentiality is the most measured attribute (31%), followed by
Integrity (24%), and Availability (19%).
Ali Asghary Karahroudy (2011) carried out a study titled "Security
Analysis and Framework of Cloud Computing with Parity Based Partially
Distributed File System was the title of a paper. This study introduced a
technique called Partially Distributed File System with Parity (PDFSP),
which is a modified version of the existing GFS/HDFS protocol. Client
Access Machine, User Public Machine, Cloud Management Server, and
File Retrieval Server are the four key components of this PDFSP. All of

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these components work together to ensure that the data being transferred
is not intercepted. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability were the
three components of security discussed in this study.
Nabil Giweli (2013) proposed the Data Centric Security strategy, which
is a solution-based approach. This technique intends to provide data
security by allowing data to self-describe, defend, and protect themselves
throughout their lifecycle in cloud environments. This approach places
the full burden of setting and managing data privacy and security
safeguards on the data owner. This proposed solution uses symmetric and
asymmetric encryption techniques and is based on the Chinese
Remainder Theorem (CRT). The proposed technique is shown to be very
efficient in this research since it does not require complex key derivation
methods and the data file do not have to be encrypted twice.
On 2013, Miao Zhou outlined five strategies for ensuring data security
and integrity in cloud computing. Innovative tree-based key management
system, Privacy enhanced cloud data outsourcing, Privacy preserved
access control for cloud computing, Privacy enhanced keyword search in
clouds, and Public remote integrity check for private data are some of the
techniques used. This article used a Keyword Searching Mechanism that
allows for effective multi-user keyword searches while concealing
personal information in search requests. To achieve flexible and fine-
grained access control in the cloud, an encryption strategy for a two-tier
system was presented. The proposed approach is efficient, according to
the experimental results, especially when the data file is large and the
integrity check is performed frequently.

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Sudhansu Ranjan Lenka et al. (2014) published a paper titled "Enhancing
Data Security in Cloud Computing Using RSA Encryption and MD5
Algorithm". They implemented both the RSA and MD5 algorithms, as
the title of the study suggests. The RSA Algorithm is utilised in this work
for secure communication as well as file encryption and decryption, while
the MD5 Algorithm is used for digital signatures and to protect the tables
from unauthorised users. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability are
the three (3) characteristics of security provided by the two algorithms
proposed.
In 2014, Aastha Mishra suggested a Key Management Scheme for
Advanced Secret Sharing. The goal of this work is to provide a more
reliable decentralised light weight key management technique for cloud
systems that will improve data security and key management. The
suggested solution preserves the security and privacy of user data by
replicating key shares across many clouds utilising a secret sharing
mechanism and a voting method to verify share integrity. The approach
employed in this paper also provides improved security against byzantine
failure, server collusion, and data alteration attacks.
Cloud Data Storage Security based on Cryptographic Mechanisms was
written by Nesrine Kaaniche in 2014. ID-Based Cryptography (IBC) and
CloudaSec are two (2) strategies proposed by Nesrine in this study to
secure data. The study proposes using ID-Based Cryptography to employ
each client as a private key generator, generating his own ID-Based
Cryptographic Public Elements (IBC-PE). These IBC-PE are used to
generate ID-based keys and encrypt data before it is stored and shared in
the cloud. There is a public key based solution for CloudaSec that

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promotes the separation of subscription-based key management and
confidentiality-oriented asymmetric encryption policies. CloudaSec
enables scalable and flexible implementation of the solution, as well as
high security guarantees for outsourced data stored on cloud servers. This
study examines and explains why cryptographic activities on the client
side are acceptable as compared to upload operations and do not require
extensive processing resources. For example, encoding an 8*105 bytes of
data takes only 0.1 second, however uploading it takes 10 seconds. As a
result, the encryption methods consume 1% of the Openstack upload
overhead.
In his work, "Data Confidentiality and Risk Management in Cloud
Computing", Afnan Ullah Khan (2014) introduced a technique known as
Access Control and Data Confidentiality (ACDC). The paper's goal was
to create a new scheme for enforcing access control regulations in cloud
computing environments. He used a medical/healthcare situation to come
up with the following components: Data Owner (Medical centre), Data
Consumers (patients, nurses, doctors, etc.), Infrastructure Provider, and
Trusted Authority. The article uses Infrastructure as a Service as its
deployment model, and the presented technique was used to achieve data
secrecy and authentication.
Sarojini et al. (2016) proposed the Enhanced Mutual Trusted Access
Control Algorithm. (EMTACA). To avoid security difficulties in cloud
computing, this strategy establishes mutual trust between cloud
consumers and cloud service providers. The goal of this work is to offer a
system that uses the EMTACA algorithm to ensure increased guaranteed,
trusted, and reputation-based cloud services among cloud users. The

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results of this paper demonstrated that the three most critical aspects of
data security, confidentiality, integrity, and availability, were all met.
Dimitra A. Geogiou published a paper in 2017 outlining security
standards for cloud computing. The goal of security policies is to
safeguard people and information, establish guidelines for expected user
behavior, reduce risks, and track regulatory compliance. The focus of the
paper was on Software as a Service. The report provided a comprehensive
assessment and analysis of previous studies on cloud computing security.
Dimitra concentrated his study of current threats on the ones that aren't
applicable to traditional systems. An approach for assessing distinct
dangers in the cloud was developed in order to be able to identify new
rules that should be implemented into the cloud policy. This research
examined the security requirements of a cloud service provider using a
case study of Europe's E-health system as a case study.
According to Breach Level Index (BLI), a global cybersecurity analytics
firm, malware insertion in a cloud environment is responsible for over 68
percent of breaches (Breach Level Index annual 2016 report).
Furthermore, identity theft, account access, and data theft account for 88
percent of all hacks.
According to CSonline.com (Armerding, 2017), there has been an
increase in hacking schemes during the last 11 years, as well as an
increase in the severity of breaches and hacking.
Yahoo, JP Morgan, eBay, and Target are just a few of the top technology
and financial companies that have been hacked and have had their
consumers' data compromised. Yahoo is at the top of the list for 6 billion
hacked client accounts, which is predicted to cost them $457 million.
According to CSO (2017) a research institute concentrating on cloud
computing in a poll that they have conducted their users the security and

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integrity of cloud computing remains the primary issue for cloud
practitioners.
Several frequent concerns now plague cloud computing, according to
Danish (2011), include Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, flashing attacks,
and session hijacking attacks. The following concerns have been
identified as being highly common in cloud computing operations.
Following these basic cloud difficulties, there are more serious dangers of
malware injection, which can be accomplished through SQL injections,
allowing attackers to exploit a security flaw and obtain unauthorized
access to personal data.
With cloud computing becoming a more dominant technology in every
part of the IT industry, it is becoming increasingly necessary to fully
comprehend its vulnerabilities in order to avoid substantial damages and
losses.
Approach and Methodology
The most critical part of any study is the methodology because it explains
how the research will be conducted. The methodology of this study had to
be planned according to the requirement of the providing security
solutions to cloud computing, which is the ultimate objective of the study.
The methodology is based on certain historical perspectives, as other
people have already been conducted research in this field. As a result of
undertaking the literature review it was decided that a strong
methodology had to be adopted and implemented in order to get the
maximum accurate results. The study focuses on providing solutions to
cloud computing security issues.
Smith and Dainty (1991) define research as the study of relationships,
problem solving, and the creation of a body of knowledge. The famous
learning style of Kolb (1984) comprised of four main segments: concrete
experience, observation, and reflection, as well as the production of
abstract ideas and their testing in different scenarios. Because the purpose
of this study is to examine the integrity and vulnerabilities of cloud
computing, as well as the future outlook of cloud computing from an

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organisational standpoint, there will be several competing ideologies. For
this project, the inductive approach would be the best option because it
aids researchers in dealing with uncertainty by combining all contextual
information into a single overall view.
Interpretivism and Positivism
In both qualitative and quantitative analysis, positivism will be used in
this study.
The positivist approach was used in the majority of scientific study
completed in the recent decade (Giddings, 2006). The purpose of this
study is to obtain data that are independent of the researchers' prior
beliefs, experiences, and emotions (Paley, 2001; Giddings, 2006)
What is methodology?
Qualitative research, according to Du Plooy (2001), is a paradigm that
allows the researcher to gain an "insider view on social action" (p.87).
Qualitative research can make a substantial contribution to both discovery
and theory development (Giles, 2000).
Systematic Literature Review (SLR)
One of the key research approaches for this study will be systematic
literature review (SLR). The purpose of this document is to outline the
present state of knowledge and information on cloud computing security
issues. This is mainly to build a bridge to reflect on how existing cloud
architecture security techniques work.
A systematic literature review is an approach for identifying, evaluating,
and interpreting all relevant research for a certain research issue or topic.
Because it justly synthesizes existing work in the field of cloud
computing, a systematic literature review can provide a fair evaluation on
the research topic.
The following are the differences between a systematic and a typical
literature review:
By adopting a review procedure, a sytematic literature review directly
answers the identified research questions.

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A systematic literature review develops a search strategy that identifies
and targets all relevant publications.
To assess the viability of each primary study, a systematic literature
review would require inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The systematic literature review will be conducted in three main phases
Interviewing
One important method in this study will be interviewing. The purpose of
interviewing is to perceive and comprehend what the interviewee says, as
well as to identify the issues in depth using a holistic approach (Kvale,
1996). Interviews are vital for this project, as well as other projects,
because they allow researchers to collect more sophisticated data and do
further research.
The purpose of the interview will be to obtain factual information, which
will be followed by contextual information. We will conduct interviews
with our subjects in their natural surroundings in order to deepen nuances
in interviewee perspectives, and the definitions will be revised on a
regular basis (Kalnis 1986 as cited in Marshall and Rossman, 1955).
To avoid endangering the project's results, researchers and interviewees
must suppress personal prejudice and preconceived notions when doing
it. (Williams, 1993; Saunders et al, 2003)
The semi-structured interview will be used as the major method of
interviewing since it allows researchers to investigate any themes that
they discover to be significant and to go more deeply into the participants'
backgrounds. (David & Sutton 2004). According to Gray (2004), Probing
should be used by academics to examine fresh themes that were not
previously considered.
Because of the disparity in backgrounds of both the interviewer and the
participants, one disadvantage of conducting semi-structured interviews is
that the interviewers may be unable to discern some themes prompted by
the participants. (David & Sutton, 2004). Because there is no way to
avoid it, the best line of action is to bear this in mind before going into
the interview.

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Focus Groups
This method relates to ethnography which blends both interviewing and
observation (Willis, 1990). According to Lindolf & Taylor (2002),
Because of the cascade effect from other qualitative approaches like
individual interviews, this strategy is effective for inserting multiple
perspectives into the data pool. This study will conduct focus groups with
a small group size of 3-5 people in order to properly manage the group
and provide each participant adequate time to contribute.
Because focus group participants will come from a variety of
backgrounds, the group's homogeneity cannot be ensured. The group's
homogeneity is seen as a critical feature since it influences individuals'
readiness to freely provide information. (Corfman, 1995). Researcher
must keep this in mind when conducting the focus group.
Qualitative method weaknesses
Every research method has flaws, and the qualitative research approach is
no exception. Stiles (1993) and Patton (2001) said that data reliability and
validity are important aspects that influence the research's conclusion and
quality. According to Denzin & Lincoln (1998), transferability,
credibility, dependability, and conformability are four characteristics that
can be used to determine the quality of research and ensure its accuracy.
Ethical considerations
Once this research is started, it must be done with the utmost caution in
terms of ethical problems. According to Ramos (1989), researchers must
be mindful of various issues, including the researcher-researcher
connection and researchers' subjective interpretations of data. This study
will also apply ethical propriety principles, which include guidelines for
honesty, fairness, and openness of intent. Data protection, informed
permission, anonymity, and confidentiality for participants are all
important ethical problems to consider in this study.
Ensuring quality and integrity of research;
When interacting with others, researchers should maintain professional
civility and fairness. The research methodologies must be used with rigor
and objectivity, and no actions that are irrelevant should be included.

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Keep clear and accurate records of all research, and properly cite/get
permission for any supporting materials. All data gathered for the study
should be used with precision, accountability, and good stewardship.
Respect the confidentiality and anonymity of research respondents;
Data protection rules and confidentiality agreements must be respected
and followed by interviewers. If a participant desires to remain
anonymous while participating in this study, the researcher must follow
the rules and keep the participant's personal identifying information
confidential, only including information that the participant has consented
to.
Researchers should provide contact information to participants when
obtaining consent, in case they require additional information, want to
rescind a response, or even discontinue their involvement at any moment.
Researchers should also make it apparent to participants how the study
protects their privacy and anonymity.
Ensuring participants will participate voluntarily;
In order to involve any volunteers, no strenuous actions should be taken;
ensure that all volunteered participants are well-informed about the
research aims and process. If a participant wants to withdraw from the
event, they should be respected.
Ensuring informed consent;
The goal of the study must be explained to the participants by the
interviewers for this project. Each participant will be given a project
information sheet that explains the goal of the study, and how the
information contributed by participants will be disseminated and used.
Interviewees should be informed about the estimated interview
completion time and the study's scope, and they should be given the
opportunity to decide whether or not they want to participate. This
procedure must be followed both verbally and in writing.
Avoid harm to participants
Researchers must ensure that no feature of this project will cause
embarrassment, self-des-integration, or a violation of moral or ethical
norms (Leedy,1997).

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Any raw data collected from research participants must be kept private
and only researchers should have access to it. All data must be processed
and stored on computers or external devices that are password-protected.
Participants' personal information must be safeguarded by legal measures.
Ensuring research is independent and impartial.
Another key feature of this study is to avoid the dissemination of
dangerous materials, such as hacking tools or obstructive coding, in order
to prevent future misuse.
Limitations & Delimitations
Limitations are circumstances that may affect the research method and
analysis that researchers are unable to control (Leedy & Ormrod, 2013).
During interviews, participants may provide socially desirable responses
instead of honest ones (Waller, Hockin, & Smith, 2017). For example,
recording interviews may have caused some participants to withhold
information for privacy reasons. There were some other limitations
beyond control in this qualitative study. The findings of this study were
from the perspective of surveyed population only and not the other
companies that were not part of the interview section. In addition to using
a limited population size, the use of findings was narrowed to active
companies offering cloud hosting services in the KSA.
Delimitations
The boundaries of this research included the type of study, which was
focused on the strategies proposed by the companies that took part in the
study. The selected companies for case studies were in the KSA with a
select population size. Additionally, the population of the study included
IT directors of some specific Saudi companies that offer cloud host
services. Finally, participants were selected based on specific criteria
such as successful experiences in developing cloud infrastructures.

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