Cloud Computing Challenges for Infrastructure as a Service Environment

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 26 - 39, 31.12.2025

Muhammad Mustapha Abubakar

Abstract

Cloud computing is a worldwide network of connected remote servers. The infrastructure as a service (IaaS) model enables users to easily adjust the size and quantity of resources, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Cloud computing has revolutionized how people and organizations access and manage services in the IT domain. This paper begins with an overview of cloud computing and virtualization technologies. Commercial enterprises and the public sector are increasingly attracted to cloud computing. This is a result of its promising characteristics and the financial incentives it offers. However, this shift has introduced new challenges in cloud environments. Cloud computing has quickly become new battlegrounds for cybercrime, necessitating the re-evaluation of investigative methods. This study aims to improve the understanding of the challenges within IaaS environments. This article examines the key challenges associated with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), including technical, organizational, and jurisdictional challenges. These challenges are exacerbated by the distributed, dynamic, and virtualized nature of these environments. Addressing these multifaceted challenges is essential for overcoming cloud obstacles. This necessitates the development of new, cloud-specific tools and techniques and enhanced collaboration between cloud customers, cloud service providers (CSPs), and law enforcement agencies. It also requires the establishment of comprehensive cloud forensic readiness frameworks, which are essential for ensuring data security and compliance in the digital age. These frameworks are vital for proactively managing potential incidents and preserving the integrity of the evidence.

Keywords

Cloud computing , Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) , virtualization technology , Security challenges

References

• A. Alenezi, R. K. Hussein, R. J. Walters, G. B. Wills, A framework for cloud forensic readiness in organizations, in: 2017 5th IEEE International Conference on Mobile Cloud Computing, Services, and Engineering (MobileCloud), IEEE, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2017, pp. 199–204. doi:10.1109/MobileCloud.2017.12.
• K. Ruan, J. Carthy, T. Kechadi, M. Crosbie, Cloud forensics: An overview, in: Advances in Digital Forensics VII, IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Orlando, FL, USA, 2011, pp. 35–46. doi:10.1007/ 978-3-642-24212-0_3.
• A. M. Alenezi, Beyond the clouds: Investigating digital crimes in cloud environments, PreprintIndependent Forensics Researcher, Auckland, New Zealand (2023).
• B. T. Ofili, E. O. Erhabor, O. T. Obasuyi, Enhancing federal cloud security with ai: Zero trust, threat intelligence and cisa compliance, World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews 25 (2) (2025) 2377–2400. doi:10.30574/wjarr.2025.25.2.0620.
• R. Saleem, Cloud computing’s effect on enterprises, Master’s thesis, Lund University (2011).
• E. Morioka, M. S. Sharbaf, Digital forensics research on cloud computing: An investigation of cloud forensics solutions, in: 2016 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST), IEEE, Waltham, MA, USA, 2016, pp. 1–6. doi:10.1109/THS.2016.7568909.
• G. Shroff, Enterprise Cloud Computing: Technology, Architecture, Applications, Vol. 1, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2010.
• M. Herman, M. Iorga, A. M. Salim, R. H. Jackson, M. R. Hurst, R. Leo, R. Lee, N. M. Landreville, A. K. Mishra, Y. Wang, R. Sardinas, Nist cloud computing forensic science challenges, Tech. Rep. NISTIR 8006, National Institute of Standards and Technology (2020). doi:10.6028/NIST.IR.8006.
• K. Çelik, Bulut bilişim teknolojileri, Bartın Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi 12 (24) (2021) 436–450.
• K. Çelik, Bulut bilişimde temel konular, Uluslararası Batı Karadeniz Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Dergisi 5 (2) (2021) 236–250.
• Y. Gupta, R. Vashisth, Cyber threats in cloud computing environment (2023) 548–555doi:10.1109/ICESC57686.2023.10193701.
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Cloud Computing Technology, Springer Nature Singapore, Singapore, 2023. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-3026-3.
• E. Morioka, M. S. Sharbaf, Cloud computing: Digital forensic solutions, in: 2015 12th International Conference on Information Technology - New Generations, IEEE, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 2015, pp. 589–594. doi:10.1109/ITNG.2015.99.
• J. Dykstra, A. T. Sherman, Acquiring forensic evidence from infrastructure-as-a-service cloud computing: Exploring and evaluating tools, trust, and techniques, Digital Investigation 9 (2012) S90–S98. doi:10.1016/j.diin.2012.05.001.
• S. Abuowaida, et al., Evidence detection in cloud forensics: Classifying cyber-attacks in iaas environments using machine learning, Data Metadata 4 (2025) 699. doi:10.56294/dm2025699.
• J. Farina, M. Scanlon, N.-A. Le-Khac, M.-T. Kechadi, Overview of the forensic investigation of cloud services (2015) 556–565doi:10.1109/ARES.2015.81.
• G. Carlton, J. Matsumoto, A survey of contemporary enterprise storage technologies from a digital forensics perspective, Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law (2011). doi:10.15394/jdfsl.2011.1100.
• S. Buyukgoze, Kırklareli university kayalı campus’ desktop virtualization, Research Journal of Business and Management 3 (4) (2016) 306–313.
• K. Yigit, F. Ayata, Bulut bilis¸im mimarisi ve g¨uvenli˘gi, Computer Science 9 (1) (2024) 62–71.
• A. Srivastava, P. Singh, Security issues in cloud computing, Journal of Management Service Science 2 (1) (2022) 1–11. doi:10.54060/JMSS/002.01.003.
• P. R. Brandao, Forensics and digital criminal investigation challenges in cloud computing and virtualization, American Journal of Networks and Communications 8 (1) (2019) 23. doi:10.11648/j.ajnc.20190801.13.
• P. Purnaye, V. Kulkarni, Bishm: Evidence detection and preservation model for cloud forensics, Open Computer Science 12 (1) (2022) 154–170. doi:10.1515/comp-2022-0241.
• D. Parr, Securing the cloud, peregrine Technical Solutions (2014).
• S. Simou, C. Kalloniatis, H. Mouratidis, S. Gritzalis, Towards the development of a cloud forensics methodology: A conceptual model, in: Advanced Information Systems Engineering Workshops, Vol. 215 of Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, Springer, 2015, pp. 470–481. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19243-7_43.
• C. Lindenmeier, J. Gruber, F. Freiling, Investee: A tee-supported framework for lawful remote forensic investigations, Digital Threats: Research and Practice 5 (3) (2024) 1–20. doi:10.1145/3680294.
• L. A. Ingle, Forensic investigations in cloud environments, International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology (2023) 639–646doi:10.48175/IJARSCT-12097.
• U. Farooq, A. Shaukat, W. H. Butt, A. Hassan, A systematic literature review of latest cloud forensic frameworks, tools and challenges (2023). doi:10.1109/ETECTE59617.2023.10396682.
• S. Achar, Cloud computing forensics (2022). doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/9N64K.
• S. Simou, C. Kalloniatis, E. Kavakli, S. Gritzalis, Cloud forensics: Identifying the major issues and challenges, in: Advanced Information Systems Engineering, Vol. 8484 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, 2014, pp. 271–284. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-07881-6_19.
• A. W. Malik, D. S. Bhatti, T.-J. Park, H. U. Ishtiaq, J.-C. Ryou, K.-I. Kim, Cloud digital forensics: Beyond tools, techniques, and challenges, Sensors 24 (2) (2024) 433. doi:10.3390/s24020433.
• S. Alqahtany, N. Clarke, S. Furnell, C. Reich, A forensically-enabled iaas cloud computing architecture, 12th Australian Digital Forensics Conference (2014). doi:10.4225/75/57B3E3A5FB87E.
• J. Dykstra, A. T. Sherman, Design and implementation of frost: Digital forensic tools for the openstack cloud computing platform, Digital Investigation 10 (2013) S87–S95. doi:10.1016/j.diin.2013.06.010.
• A. M. Alenezi, Digital and cloud forensic challenges, independent Forensics Researcher, Auckland, New Zealand (2023).
• Z. AlSaed, M. Jazzar, A. Eleyan, T. Bejaoui, S. Popoola, An integrated framework implementation for cloud forensics investigation using logging tool (2022) 1–6doi:10.1109/SmartNets55823.2022.9994001.
• M. Irfan, H. Abbas, Y. Sun, A. Sajid, M. Pasha, A framework for cloud forensics evidence collection and analysis using security information and event management, Security and Communication Networks 9 (16) (2016) 3790–3807. doi:10.1002/sec.1538.