Cloud Apps Research Articles

A Survey on Integration of Applications - Tools, Types & It’s Challenges

Application integration services allow a variety of apps inside a company to share processes and business data. enabling the transformation and orchestration of the data necessary for business activities by integrating a number of assumptions and cloud apps. The program that integrates and improves the data transfer between two different software applications is called application integration. Businesses frequently use this software to build a bridge between an older on-premises application and a new cloud-based one, allowing the two systems to coexist. This article will describe application integration, its software and varieties, and the many actions that may be taken to implement application integration strategies.

Strengthening Cloud Security: An Innovative Multi-Factor Multi-Layer Authentication Framework for Cloud User Authentication

Cloud multi-factor authentication is a critical security measure that helps strengthen cloud security from unauthorized access and data breaches. Multi-factor authentication verifies that authentic cloud users are only authorized to access cloud apps, data, services, and resources, making it more secure for enterprises and less inconvenient for users. The number of authentication factors varies based on the security framework’s architecture and the required security level. Therefore, implementing a secured multi-factor authentication framework in a cloud platform is a challenging process. In this paper, we developed an adaptive multi-factor multi-layer authentication framework that embeds an access control and intrusion detection mechanisms with an automated selection of authentication methods. The core objective is to enhance a secured cloud platform with low false positive alarms that makes it more difficult for intruders to access the cloud system. To enhance the authentication mechanism and reduce false alarms, multiple authentication factors that include the length, validity, and value of the user factor is implemented with a user’s geolocation and user’s browser confirmation method that increase the identity verification of cloud users. An additional AES-based encryption component is applied to data, which are protected from being disclosed. The AES encryption mechanism is implemented to conceal the login information on the directory provider of the cloud. The proposed framework demonstrated excellent performance in identifying potentially malicious users and intruders, thereby effectively preventing any intentional attacks on the cloud services and data.

NetBID2 provides comprehensive hidden driver analysis

Many signaling and other genes known as “hidden” drivers may not be genetically or epigenetically altered or differentially expressed at the mRNA or protein levels, but, rather, drive a phenotype such as tumorigenesis via post-translational modification or other mechanisms. However, conventional approaches based on genomics or differential expression are limited in exposing such hidden drivers. Here, we present a comprehensive algorithm and toolkit NetBID2 (data-driven network-based Bayesian inference of drivers, version 2), which reverse-engineers context-specific interactomes and integrates network activity inferred from large-scale multi-omics data, empowering the identification of hidden drivers that could not be detected by traditional analyses. NetBID2 has substantially re-engineered the previous prototype version by providing versatile data visualization and sophisticated statistical analyses, which strongly facilitate researchers for result interpretation through end-to-end multi-omics data analysis. We demonstrate the power of NetBID2 using three hidden driver examples. We deploy NetBID2 Viewer, Runner, and Cloud apps with 145 context-specific gene regulatory and signaling networks across normal tissues and paediatric and adult cancers to facilitate end-to-end analysis, real-time interactive visualization and cloud-based data sharing. NetBID2 is freely available at https://jyyulab.github.io/NetBID.

Orchestrating Image Retrieval and Storage Over a Cloud System

Since massive numbers of images are now being communicated from, and stored in different cloud systems, faster retrieval has become extremely important. This is more relevant, especially after COVID-19 in bandwidth-constrained environments. However, to the best of our knowledge, a coherent solution to overcome this problem is yet to be investigated in the literature. In this paper, by customizing the Progressive JPEG method, we propose a new Scan Script to ensure Faster Image Retrieval. Furthermore, we also propose a new lossy PJPEG architecture to reduce the file size as a solution to overcome our Scan Script's drawback. In order to achieve an orchestration between them, we improve the scanning of Progressive JPEG's picture payloads to ensure Faster Image Retrieval using the change in bit pixels of distinct Luma and Chroma components (Y, C_b, and C_r). The orchestration improves user experience even in bandwidth-constrained cases. We evaluate our proposed orchestration in a real-world setting across two continents encompassing a private cloud. Compared to existing alternatives, our proposed orchestration can improve user waiting time by up to 54% and decrease image size by up to 27%. Our proposed work is tested in cutting-edge cloud apps, ensuring up to 69% quicker loading time.

Secure Cloud Services by Integrating CASB Based Approach

In the last decades, cloud computing has attracted much attention in business, as it provides numerous computing functions (e.g., Software-as-a- Service (SaaS), Platform as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). Shadow IT refers to the use of cloud apps and services without the explicit approval of IT. Early on, the practice was one of the main drivers of Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) adoption. There are two risks we found, they are i.) Users typically use unapproved software-as-a- service (SaaS) applications for file sharing, social media, collaboration and web conferencing. Ii.) Another growing challenge, third-party apps and scripts with OAuth permissions. OAuth-connected third-party apps access IT-approved cloud services, such as Microsoft 365 and Google G Suite. Some of these pose risks because of poor design, giving them broader than necessary data permissions. The danger of OAuth is once a token is authorized, access to enterprise data and applications continues until it’s revoked—even if the user’s password is changed. Integrating CASB solution into broader web security infrastructure can provide deeper visibility into all unapproved web apps. Keywords: cloud computing, insider threats, web security, CASB, OAuth

PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN JARAK JAUH DAN MOTIVASI BELAJAR TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR PRODUK KUE INDONESIA

This research aims to know the influence of distance instructional strategies and learning motivation on the results of learning to make Indonesian cake products. Using research methods with quantitative approaches. Research design with factorial 2X2. Variable distance learning strategies using the Google Classroom (A1) and Zoom Meeting Cloud (A2) apps. The variables of learning motivation are high learning motivation (B1) and low learning motivation (B2). The instrument used to measure students' learning motivation is a questionnaire with a Likert scale. It involved 66 respondents who were divided into two groups as experiments and controls. The results of the first hypothesis test that Sig. 0.086 >0.05 can mean no difference in learning outcomes between students treated through Google Classroom and students treated through Zoom Meeting Cloud. The second hypothesis is that Sig. 0.000<0.05 can be interpreted as a significant difference in learning outcomes between students who have high learning motivation and low learning motivation. The third hypothesis is that Sig. 0.001<0.05 can mean there is an interaction between learning strategies and learning motivation. He concluded that the instructional process does not have differences in learning outcomes while knowing there are differences in learning outcomes. This research's implications need to be reviewed in applying instructional strategies in the experimental learning process because vocational school students are required to have competencies. This research is new to the understanding of theory.
 Keywords: Instructional Strategies, Learning Motivation, learning platform, Indonesian Cake Products

A study on the intellectual capital management over cloud computing using analytic hierarchy process and partial least squares

PurposeIn the age of a knowledge-based economy and following extensive socio-economic changes, the success of organizations is not limited to gaining financial and material resources. Instead, it depends on the acquisition of intangible assets that can be used to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. In the new strategic environment, organizations will thrive when they see themselves as a learning organization whose goal is to improve intellectual capital continually; an organization that cannot increase its intellectual capital cannot survive. The term intellectual capital is used in the overlap of all assets, intangible resources and non-physical resources of an organization, including processes, innovation capacity and implicit and explicit knowledge of its members and partner network. However, despite the growing importance of intellectual capital and cloud computing as vital resources for organizations' competitive advantage, there is a limited understanding of them. Simultaneously, the management of intellectual capital enables organizational managers to create, nurture, control and preserves a strong competitive advantage source, the advantage that competitors will not easily capture. So, the main objective of the present investigation is to check out the factors affecting the adoption of intellectual capital management systems based on cloud computing in hospitals.Design/methodology/approachIn the last two decades, we have moved toward economics, where investment in Information Technology (IT), human resources, development, research and advertising is essential to maintain competitive advantage and certify the sustainability of organizations. Therefore, it can be stated that the economic value is the creation and management of intangible assets, which are referred to as intellectual capital. On the other hand, cloud computing is presented as a new paradigm for hosting and providing services through the Internet. Cloud computing can lead to too many benefits to organizations, including cost reduction, flexibility and improved performance. The present article examines how optimal intellectual capital management can be achieved using cloud computing. So, seven hypotheses were developed through the dimensions of technology, environment, organization and innovation. In this study, the path analysis was performed using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). By reviewing the literature related to the model of technology, organization, environment and innovation dissemination theory, four main criteria, and 15 sub-criteria were identified based on the opinions of specialists, professors and IT experts based on AHP and PLS methods.FindingsThe results of this investigation confirmed all the hypotheses. The results illustrated that environmental and technological factors should be regarded more when adopting intellectual capital management systems based on cloud computing. The results also indicated that intellectual capital highly influences improving performance. Furthermore, cloud apps, like other disruptive technology, deliver superior benefits while still presenting a slew of realistic challenges that must be tackled. In order to draw a growing customer base to this business model, software vendors should resolve these concerns. The literature revealed that the computing industry is making tremendous strides around the world. Nevertheless, in order to achieve a faster and softer adoption, newer and more advanced techniques are still required.Research limitations/implicationsThe research outcomes can significantly impact a wide range of organizations, such as health-related organizations. However, there are some limitations; for example, the sample is limited to one country. Therefore, future studies can measure the data of this study in different samples in different countries. Future researchers can also boost the model's predictive capability to adopt cloud computing in other organizations by adding environmental, organizational, innovation and other technical factors.Practical implicationsManagers will use these emerging innovations to minimize costs and maximize profits in the intellectual capital management competition. An effective cloud computing based on an electronic human resource management system can significantly increase system performance in industries. The investigators expect that the results will direct clinicians and scholars into a more advanced and developed age of cloud-based apps.Originality/valueInvestigations on the impact of cloud computing on intellectual capital management are rare. Accordingly, this investigation provided a new experience in terms of intellectual capital in the field of cloud computing. This study filled the scientific research gap to understand the factors affecting intellectual capital management systems based on cloud computing. This study provides a better insight into the power of organizational and environmental structure to adopt this technology in hospitals.

An Investigation of Teaching Practices and Opinions of Teacher about Using Cloud Apps in Interactive Online Science Class

목적 본 연구에서는 쌍방향 온라인 과학수업에서 클라우드 앱을 활용한 경험이 있는 교사들을 대상으로 활용 실태와 인식 조사를 하여 클라우드 앱의 교육적 효과와 한계에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 방법 이를 위하여 관련 경험이 있는 10명의 초, 중, 고등학교 교사를 연구참여자로 목적 표집하였다. 연구참여자들이 실제로 수업에 활용한 교수⋅학습 자료를 수집하고 설문 조사와 면담을 실시하였다. 결과 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 연구참여자가 쌍방향 온라인 과학수업에서 클라우드 앱을 활용한 방식은 7가지 유형으로 나뉘었다. 둘째, 연구참여자들은 클라우드 앱을 활용하였을 때 수업 구성원 간의 상호 작용이 증가한 경향이 있다고 하였다. 셋째, 클라우드 앱이 교사가 학생에게 피드백을 제시하는 데에 긍정적인 기능을 한다는 의견과 그렇지 않다는 의견이 공존하였다. 넷째, 연구참여자 전부 과제 수합에 클라우드 앱을 활용하였으며, 일부는 형성평가에 활용하였을 때 특히 만족도가 높았던 것으로 나타났다. 마지막으로 일부 교사는 비대면 실험 수업에 클라우드 앱을 활용하였는데 이 수업 방식을 새로운 비대면 실험 수업 모델로 발전시킬 수 있을 것으로 기대한다. 결론 교사가 클라우드 앱의 기능을 적절히 활용하게 된다면 시간과 에너지의 효율이 높은 온라인 수업을 설계 할 수 있게 되고, 학생과의 상호작용 및 학생의 학습진단 기회가 늘어 현행 온라인 수업이 가진 한계점을 일부 개선할 것으로 기대한다.

Availability-Aware Multi-Objective Cluster Allocation Optimization in Energy-Efficient Datacenters

With increasing network virtualization, data centre's workloads are modified in depth to serve various service-oriented applications, often defined by a time-bound service response, which, in turn, places a heavy demand on data center networks. Network virtualization in computing is the technique of integrating network resources and network functions in hardware and software into one virtual network, the software-based administration entity. Number of people ask for the server simultaneously, thereby slowing down the service.It is so costly to buy a new server that we developed a virtual system by creating a virtual system. With a trend to increase the number of cloud apps in the datacenter. There are numerous physical machines (PMs) linked via switches in the datacenter. Hardware PM resources for adaptable and elastic computing capabilities are usually shared via virtualization technology. Usually a cloud application is implemented in a virtual cluster that includes many virtual machines which occupy PM resources on request.

Offloading as a Service Middleware for Mobile Cloud Apps

Recently, much research has focused on the improvement of mobile app performance and their power optimization, by offloading computation from mobile devices to public cloud computing platforms. However, the scalability of these offloading services on a large scale is still a challenge. This article describes a solution to this scalability problem by proposing a middleware that provides offloading as a service (OAS) to large-scale implementation of mobile users and apps. The proposed middleware OAS uses adaptive VM allocation and deallocation algorithms based on a CPU rate prediction model. Furthermore, it dynamically schedules the requests using a load-balancing algorithm to ensure meeting QoS requirements at a lower cost. The authors have tested the proposed algorithm by conducting multiple simulations and compared our results with state-of-the-art algorithms based on various performance metrics under multiple load conditions. The results show that OAS achieves better response time with a minimum number of VMs and reduces 50% of the cost compared to existing approaches.

Dynamic Key Switching Integrated Scenarios for Performance Aware Implementations in Cloud and Integrated Internet of Things

With the adoption and wide usage of smart gadgets and devices for multiple applications, the association of advanced technologies is quite prominence and needs higher degree of accuracy and performance. These are legitimately connected with the advanced innovations including Internet of Things, Internet of Everything, Internet of Vehicles, Internet of Cloud Apps and numerous others. This original copy is therefore displaying the enormous issues and research focuses in this area with the associated streams so the different elements of IoT, IoE, IoX, IoV and others can be broke down with the examination openings and the portions for various streams. In the present situation, the IoT based coordination of digital forms of money is very unmistakable whereby the distributed system is pursued and it goes under the innovation of blockchain. The blockchain innovation is likewise connected with the shrewd advances. In the present period, Blockchain Technology is one of the key territories of research just as execution explicitly in the space of cryptocurrency. Presently days, various computerized cryptographic forms of money are very conspicuous and shared all through the world in spite of tremendous analysis and discussions. Other than these purposes of research, the vehicular mix of IoT is very conspicuous that is tended to utilizing IoV that is Internet of Vehicles in the keen traffic observing and brilliant transportation. Presently days, the IoT is moving towards IoE or IoX which alludes to Internet of Everything and this is additionally tended to in this composition. The manuscript is presenting the scenarios for the implementation patterns associated with the security and dynamic key based environment.

Cloud Computing at a Cross Road: Quality and Risks in Higher Education

The key determinants of cloud computing provide a convincing argument for HEIs and its stakeholders to adopt the innovation. These benefits reflect the essential quality characteristics of the cloud, such as Broad network Access; Measured Service; On-demand Self-Service; Rapid Elasticity; and Resource Pooling. However, there are also risks associated with the cloud, leading to non-adoption, such as Confidence, Privacy, Security, Surety and Trust. Understanding the impact of these factors can support multiple stakeholders, such as students, lecturers, senior managers and admins in their adoptive decision of CC in their respected institutions. Using the Multiview 3 (MV3) methodology, a research model was proposed to explore the key qualities and risks that determine the adoption or non-adoption of CC by UK HEIs from multiple perspectives. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted on 32 University stakeholders across 2 UK Universities. The findings suggest that security, privacy and trust are the key determinants to non-adoption as participants felt that the cloud cannot fully guarantee the safeguarding of sensitive information. Determinants to cloud adoption include improving relationships between students and teachers via collaborative tools, in addition to proposing cloud apps for mobile devices for accessing virtual learning materials and email securely off-campus. In conclusion, University stakeholders are still at a cross-road when it comes to cloud adoption, but future advances of the cloud may help to steer their decision to adopt this innovative technology given its overwhelming potential.

Seed-based authentication for mobile clients across multiple devices

ABSTRACTAuthenticating users for mobile cloud apps has been a major security issue in recent years. Traditional passwords ensure the security of mobile applications, but it also requires extra effort from users to memorize complex passwords. Seed-based authentication can simplify the process of authentication for mobile users. In the seed-based authentication, images can be used as credentials for a mobile app. A seed is extracted from an image and used to generate one-time tokens for login. Compared to complex passwords, images are more friendly to mobile users. Previous work had been done in seed-based authentication which focused on providing authentication from a single device. It is common that a mobile user may have two or more mobile devices. Authenticating the same user on different devices is challenging due to several aspects, such as maintaining the same credential for multiple devices and distinguishing different users. In this article, we aimed at developing a solution to address these issues. We proposed multiple-device authentication algorithms to identify users. We adopted a one-time token paradigm to ensure the security of mobile applications. In addition, we tried to minimize the authentication latency for better performance. Our simulation showed that the proposed algorithms can improve the average latency of authentication for 40% at most, compared to single-device solutions.

Learning Readiness for Professional Development in Cloud Apps for Education: The Demographic Analysis of Teachers in Thailand

Learning Readiness for Professional Development in Cloud Apps for Education: The Demographic Analysis of Teachers in Thailand

The Role of Mobile Forensics in Terrorism Investigations Involving the Use of Cloud Storage Service and Communication Apps

Mobile technologies can be, and have been, exploited in terrorist activities. In this paper, we highlight the importance of mobile forensics in the investigation of such activities. Specifically, using a series of controlled experiments on Android and Windows devices, we demonstrate how mobile forensics techniques can be used to recover evidentiary artefacts from client devices. There are three simulation scenarios, namely: (1) information propagation, (2) information concealment and (3) communications. The experiments used three popular cloud apps (Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive), five communication apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype and Viber), and two email apps (GMail and Microsoft Outlook). The evidential data was collected and analysed using mobile forensics and network packet analyser tools. The correlation of evidence artefacts would support to infer illegal use of mobile devices. This study also highlights the extent of acquired evidence between Android and Windows devices, in which Android presents more evidentiary value.

Circumventing iOS security mechanisms for APT forensic investigations: A security taxonomy for cloud apps

Mobile devices and apps such as cloud apps are a potential attack vector in an advanced persistent threat (APT) incident, due to their capability to store sensitive data (e.g. backup of private and personal data in digital repositories) and access sensitive resources (e.g. compromising the device to access an organisational network). These devices and apps are, thus, a rich source of digital evidence. It is vital to be able to identify artefacts of forensic interest transmitted to/from and stored on the devices. However, security mechanisms in mobile platforms and apps can complicate the forensic acquisition of data. In this paper, we present techniques to circumvent security mechanisms and facilitate collection of artefacts from cloud apps. We then demonstrate the utility of the circumvention techniques using 18 popular iOS cloud apps as case studies. Based on the findings, we present the first iOS cloud app security taxonomy that could be used in the investigation of an APT incident.

Exploring infrastructure support for app-based services on cloud platforms

Major infrastructure-as-a-cloud (IaaS) providers have recently been building marketplaces of “cloud apps,” which are VMs pre-installed with a variety of software stacks. Clients of cloud computing leverage such markets by downloading and instantiating the apps that best suit their computing needs, thereby saving the effort needed to configure and build VMs from scratch.We posit that the notion of cloud apps as defined by these marketplaces is nascent and does not allow apps to leverage the benefits of virtual machine (VM) introspection technology developed over the past decade. We envision a marketplace of apps that can interact with client VMs in a rich set of ways to provide a number of services that are currently supported only by cloud providers. This allows clients to deploy services such as VM introspection-based security tools and network middleboxes on their work VMs without requiring the cloud provider to deploy these services on their behalf.This paper presents models to support such a marketplace of expressive cloud apps. We present a study of the design space of these models to understand their performance and deployment tradeoffs. We also consider the design of a permissions-based framework to contain untrusted third-party cloud apps. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of our models by building and evaluating a number of security tools built as cloud apps.

The Curious Case of the PDF Converter that Likes Mozart: Dissecting and Mitigating the Privacy Risk of Personal Cloud Apps

Abstract Third party apps that work on top of personal cloud services, such as Google Drive and Drop-box, require access to the user’s data in order to provide some functionality. Through detailed analysis of a hundred popular Google Drive apps from Google’s Chrome store, we discover that the existing permission model is quite often misused: around two-thirds of analyzed apps are over-privileged, i.e., they access more data than is needed for them to function. In this work, we analyze three different permission models that aim to discourage users from installing over-privileged apps. In experiments with 210 real users, we discover that the most successful permission model is our novel ensemble method that we call Far-reaching Insights. Far-reaching Insights inform the users about the data-driven insights that apps can make about them (e.g., their topics of interest, collaboration and activity patterns etc.) Thus, they seek to bridge the gap between what third parties can actually know about users and users’ perception of their privacy leakage. The efficacy of Far-reaching Insights in bridging this gap is demonstrated by our results, as Far-reaching Insights prove to be, on average, twice as effective as the current model in discouraging users from installing over-privileged apps. In an effort to promote general privacy awareness, we deployed PrivySeal, a publicly available privacy-focused app store that uses Far-reaching Insights. Based on the knowledge extracted from data of the store’s users (over 115 gigabytes of Google Drive data from 1440 users with 662 installed apps), we also delineate the ecosystem for 3rd party cloud apps from the standpoint of developers and cloud providers. Finally, we present several general recommendations that can guide other future works in the area of privacy for the cloud. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first work that tackles the privacy risk posed by 3rd party apps on cloud platforms in such depth.

An Innovative, Open, Interoperable Citizen Engagement Cloud Platform for Smart Government and Users’ Interaction

This paper introduces an open, interoperable, and cloud-computing-based citizen engagement platform for the management of administrative processes of public administrations, which also increases the engagement of citizens. The citizen engagement platform is the outcome of a 3-year Italian national project called PRISMA (Interoperable cloud platforms for smart government). The aim of the project is to constitute a new model of digital ecosystem that can support and enable new methods of interaction among public administrations, citizens, companies, and other stakeholders surrounding cities. The platform has been defined by the media as a flexible (enable the addition of any kind of application or service) and open (enable access to open services) Italian "cloud" that allows public administrations to access to a vast knowledge base represented as linked open data to be reused by a stakeholder community with the aim of developing new applications ("Cloud Apps") tailored to the specific needs of citizens. The platform has been used by Catania and Syracuse municipalities, two of the main cities of southern Italy, located in the Sicilian region. The fully adoption of the platform is rapidly spreading around the whole region (local developers have already used available application programming interfaces (APIs) to create additional services for citizens and administrations) to such an extent that other provinces of Sicily and Italy in general expressed their interest for its usage. The platform is available online and, as mentioned above, is open source and provides APIs for full exploitation.

A Forensically Sound Adversary Model for Mobile Devices.

In this paper, we propose an adversary model to facilitate forensic investigations of mobile devices (e.g. Android, iOS and Windows smartphones) that can be readily adapted to the latest mobile device technologies. This is essential given the ongoing and rapidly changing nature of mobile device technologies. An integral principle and significant constraint upon forensic practitioners is that of forensic soundness. Our adversary model specifically considers and integrates the constraints of forensic soundness on the adversary, in our case, a forensic practitioner. One construction of the adversary model is an evidence collection and analysis methodology for Android devices. Using the methodology with six popular cloud apps, we were successful in extracting various information of forensic interest in both the external and internal storage of the mobile device.