Background

Like many similar industrial technology revolution, cloud computing is driving different industries to alter their original patterns. As Shane Robinson said, the CTO of HP, IT industry is in an important transitional stage.

 

 

Though it is still in the early stage, it will change the way of getting information, sharing contents and communication in the end. The brand new trend will be promoted by a new calculation pattern: enterprises or individuals need not install lots of software package, but have access to a large-scale and customized service through the Web browser- that is what we call "cloud service".

 

When the change is gradually accelerating, there will be a fundamental leap in the aspect of leading user experience. Cloud computing is entering its flourishing period in the next few years.

 

According to the latest statistics by IDC, it will account for 10% of the whole IT consumption in 2013, with the annual yield reaching up to $44.2 billion. Within five years, cloud computing service is showing its powerful growth, with the average annual growing rate of 26%, five times more than that of the traditional IT industry.

 

 

It is due to the rise of applying cloud model that many changes have taken place on the micro-level of the management mode and the usage mode of enterprise application with the following detailed features: the application system is becoming more and more centralized and unlike before when every system was equipped with one or more independent servers, it is comprised of a large number of virtual systems.

 

The way of users’ access is getting mobile and every application system possibly need adapt itself to the terminal access of computers (including desktop and laptop), smart phones and tablet PC. In addition, the network for terminal access is transforming from the previous single wired network toward the mixing access of wired, wireless and 3G network.

 

With the increasing emergence of industrial systems, one application system will never have it all.

 

As the cloud pattern is enjoying more popular support, users do not care what kind of network environment the application system is deployed in any more, but only care the system itself.

 

Enterprises are demanding for more detailed identification of users’ identity and are more careful about the requirement for their use procedure and data audition.

 

The developing trend of enterprise application brings new challenges for its access security. Generally summarized as how to ensure the security of cloud application, details are as follows:

 

 

How to enable users to have access to the private enterprise cloud application whenever and wherever possible?

 

How to adapt to the smart mobile terminals which are emerging in endlessly?

 

How to recognize all kinds of enterprise applications and precisely control them?

 

How to ensure that everyone who has access to the application system is authorized? And how to make sure that every user is controllable and auditable?

 

How to provide a simple and easy-to-use usage mode for a large number of unskilled users?