Abstract— Cloud computing is "a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction"[1]. While cloud computing has several benefits, some organizations do not use it because of security concerns. This study was conducted to explore threats, vulnerabilities, and security risks in cloud computing, and present some solutions to those concerns. This paper has three main objectives. First, identifying the reality of cloud computing security generally. Second, covering the most critical security vulnerabilities, threats, and issues in cloud computing as well as suggestions to mitigate them. Third, clarifying security countermeasures used in Saudi Arabia in medical, commercial, and academic fields, and commercial fields. Logical and administrative data security, service level agreements, data leakage, customer monitoring, and the existence of loopholes are the major security issues in the cloud computing. Using private cloud, multiple frames of data storage, improving content security, data integrity, and service level agreement, encryption mechanisms, and access control services are some solutions to mitigate cloud computing security concerns.

Cite: Amani M. Ghazzawi, Fatimah M. Alqahtani, Fahd S. Alotaibi, and Sjaak Laan, "An Investigation of the Most Critical Security Vulnerabilities in Cloud Computing in Saudi Arabia," Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 165-171, August, 2017. doi: 10.12720/jait.8.3.165-171