Analysing Trust Issues in Cloud Identity Environments

Abstract: Trust acts as a facilitator for decision making in environments, where decisions are subject to risk and uncertainty. Security is one of the factors contributing to the trust model that is a requirement for service users. In this paper we ask, What can be done to improve end user trust in choosing a cloud identity provider? Security and privacy are central issues in a cloud identity environment and it is the end user who determines the amount of trust they have in any identity system. This paper is an in-depth literature survey that evaluates identity service delivery in a cloud environment from the perspective of the service user. A trust framework is sought that will provide the end user the capability of evaluating the trust they may have in any service. The analysis resolves the possibility of a single trust value that gives an overall security strength of the cloud identity service. Such a metric can provide informed end user choice. Consideration is also given to the decay or enhancement of the trust value based on user experience and transactions over a period of time.