🎤 Slide 1: Title Slide
“Hello everyone, I’m Didarul Islam Sifat from the Department of Software Engineering. Today, I’ll be presenting on Cloud Security Threats and Defense Mechanisms. This work was guided by Dr. Rubaiyat Islam. As cloud computing grows, so do the security risks, and today we’ll take a closer look at both the problems and the solutions.”
🎤 Slide 2: Introduction
“Cloud computing gives us scalable, flexible, and cost-effective services. But with these benefits come risks—like data breaches, insider threats, and denial-of-service attacks. In this presentation, I’ll highlight the major threats affecting cloud environments and the defense strategies we can use to combat them.”
🎤 Slide 3: Background Study
“Cloud services are delivered through models like IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS—each bringing its own set of vulnerabilities. Common issues include misconfigured settings, insecure APIs, and access control flaws. The shared responsibility model—where both the provider and the client manage security—adds complexity. That’s why proper configuration and continuous monitoring are essential.”
🎤 Slide 4: Objectives of the Study
“This study had three key objectives: First, to identify the main cloud security threats. Second, to evaluate existing defense mechanisms. And third, to review literature to see whether current strategies are effective or need improvement.”
🎤 Slide 5: Methodology
“I conducted this study using a mix of research approaches. I reviewed academic articles, analyzed real-world breaches like the Capital One and Verizon incidents, and spoke with cybersecurity professionals. I also compared different security tools and frameworks to develop practical recommendations.”
🎤 Slide 6: Major Cloud Security Threats
“The main threats I found include:
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Data Breaches, often due to misconfigured storage or weak access controls.
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Insider Threats, which involve misuse by users with privileged access.
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DDoS Attacks, that aim to crash or overwhelm services.
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Misconfiguration, like open databases or poor firewall settings.
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Account Hijacking, often through phishing or reused credentials.”
🎤 Slide 7: Summary of Key Threats
“To summarize, the biggest risks in the cloud are: data breaches, insider threats, DDoS attacks, and account hijacking. These threats are not only common—they’re becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect.”
🎤 Slide 8: Evaluation of Current Defenses
“Current defenses rely heavily on technology. We use encryption like AES and RSA to secure data, identity access management with multi-factor authentication, and intrusion detection systems. Zero Trust Architecture adds another layer by verifying users at every step. Tools like Cloudflare help prevent DDoS attacks. But even the best tools won’t work without constant updates and skilled oversight.”
🎤 Slide 9: Proposed Enhancements
“To improve security, I suggest:
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AI-driven threat detection for faster, smarter responses.
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Secure-by-default configurations, which reduce human error.
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Continuous Security Posture Monitoring, or CSPM, to catch risks early.
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And stronger, faster incident response teams, like better-equipped Security Operations Centers.”
🎤 Slide 10: Key Findings
“My findings show that cloud threats are evolving faster than many defenses. While current tools do help, they’re often not used properly or consistently. A layered defense approach—combining strong tools and informed users—is the best way forward.”
🎤 Slide 11: Conclusion
“In conclusion, cloud computing offers many advantages, but also brings serious risks. Securing the cloud isn’t a one-time task—it requires constant attention, smart technology, and clear policies. The future of cloud security depends on how well we balance innovation with protection.”
🎤 Slide 12: References
“This study is supported by research from experts like El Kafhali et al. on cloud security, Radain et al. on DDoS protection, and Kumar & Goyal on threats and countermeasures. Their work helped shape the direction and depth of my research.”
