Cloud computing is significantly reshaping the computing industry built
around core concepts such as virtualization, processing power, connectivity and
elasticity to store and share IT resources via a broad network. It has emerged
as the key technology that unleashes the potency of Big Data, Internet of
Things, Mobile and Web Applications, and other related technologies, but it
also comes with its challenges - such as governance, security, and privacy.
This paper is focused on the security and privacy challenges of cloud computing
with specific reference to user authentication and access management for cloud
SaaS applications. The suggested model uses a framework that harnesses the
stateless and secure nature of JWT for client authentication and session
management. Furthermore, authorized access to protected cloud SaaS resources
have been efficiently managed. Accordingly, a Policy Match Gate (PMG) component
and a Policy Activity Monitor (PAM) component have been introduced. In
addition, other subcomponents such as a Policy Validation Unit (PVU) and a
Policy Proxy DB (PPDB) have also been established for optimized service
delivery. A theoretical analysis of the proposed model portrays a system that
is secure, lightweight and highly scalable for improved cloud resource security
and management.Comment: 6 Page
