Cloud Computing Service Models

by | Mar 13, 2025 | Essays

 

Many organizations are moving to the cloud to protect their infrastructure, reduce infrastructure costs, and improve their backup capabilities. As a cybersecurity practitioner, you may very well be asked to assist in the selection and implementation of a cloud computing service model.

 

Compare and contrast the cloud computing service models defined by NIST.
Integrate practical examples of organizations you have researched that that are using the various platforms, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Provide full citations and references, formatted according to Strayer Writing Standards.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all supports. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Cloud Computing Service Models: A Comparative Analysis

Cloud computing has revolutionized how organizations manage their IT infrastructure, offering scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines three primary cloud computing service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This paper will compare and contrast these models, integrate practical examples, and highlight their respective advantages and disadvantages.  

1. Software as a Service (SaaS)

  • Definition:
    • SaaS provides users with access to application software hosted in the cloud. Users access these applications through a web browser or a dedicated application, without managing the underlying infrastructure.  
  • Characteristics:
    • Users do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities.  
    • Typically accessed via a thin client interface, such as a web browser.  
  • Example:
    • Salesforce: A customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides businesses with tools for sales, marketing, and customer service.  
    • Advantages:
      • Reduced IT overhead: Organizations do not need to manage software installation, updates, or maintenance.  
      • Accessibility: Applications can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.  
      • Scalability: Resources can be easily scaled up or down based on demand.

         

Cloud Computing Service Models: A Comparative Analysis

Cloud computing has revolutionized how organizations manage their IT infrastructure, offering scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines three primary cloud computing service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This paper will compare and contrast these models, integrate practical examples, and highlight their respective advantages and disadvantages.  

1. Software as a Service (SaaS)

  • Definition:
    • SaaS provides users with access to application software hosted in the cloud. Users access these applications through a web browser or a dedicated application, without managing the underlying infrastructure.  
  • Characteristics:
    • Users do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities.  
    • Typically accessed via a thin client interface, such as a web browser.  
  • Example:
    • Salesforce: A customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides businesses with tools for sales, marketing, and customer service.  
    • Advantages:
      • Reduced IT overhead: Organizations do not need to manage software installation, updates, or maintenance.  
      • Accessibility: Applications can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.  
      • Scalability: Resources can be easily scaled up or down based on demand.

         

    • Disadvantages:
      • Limited customization: Users have limited control over the application’s functionality.
      • Vendor lock-in: Switching to a different SaaS provider can be challenging.  
      • Data security concerns: Organizations must trust the provider to secure their data.
  • Citation: Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

  • Definition:
    • PaaS provides users with a platform to develop, run, and manage applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.  
  • Characteristics:
    • Users have control over the deployed applications and application hosting environment configurations.
    • Users do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but have control over deployed applications.  
  • Example:
    • Google App Engine: Allows developers to build and deploy web applications on Google’s infrastructure.  
    • Advantages:
      • Faster development: Developers can focus on writing code rather than managing infrastructure.  
      • Simplified deployment: Applications can be easily deployed and scaled in the cloud.
      • Cost-effective: Organizations can avoid the costs of purchasing and maintaining hardware.
    • Disadvantages:
      • Vendor lock-in: Developers may be limited to the tools and technologies provided by the PaaS vendor.  
      • Dependence on the provider: Any provider outages will affect the application.
      • Security concerns: Shared infrastructure may present security risks.  
  • Citation: Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

3. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

  • Definition:
    • IaaS provides users with access to virtualized computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networking.  
  • Characteristics:
    • Users have control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly selected networking components.
    • Users do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but have control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and networking components.  
  • Example:
    • Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2: Provides virtual servers that can be used for a variety of computing tasks.  
    • Advantages:
      • Maximum flexibility: Users have complete control over their infrastructure.
      • Scalability: Resources can be easily scaled up or down based on demand.  
      • Cost-effective: Organizations only pay for the resources they use.
    • Disadvantages:
      • Requires IT expertise: Organizations need staff with the skills to manage their infrastructure.
      • Security responsibilities: Organizations are responsible for securing their applications and data.
      • Increased management overhead: compared to the other two options.
  • Citation: Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Comparison Table:

Feature SaaS PaaS IaaS
Control level Least Medium Most
Management Provider-managed Provider-managed infrastructure, user-managed applications User-managed
Examples Salesforce, Google Workspace Google App Engine, AWS Elastic Beanstalk AWS EC2, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines
Usage End Users Developers System Administrators.

Conclusion:

The choice of cloud computing service model depends on an organization’s specific needs and requirements. SaaS is ideal for organizations that need access to ready-to-use applications, while PaaS is suitable for developers who want to build and deploy custom applications. IaaS offers the most flexibility and control, but requires significant IT expertise. When choosing, it is very important that a cybersecurity professional analyzes the security risks of each choice

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