Abstract

Cloud computing has emerged as a key paradigm enabling scalable and on-demand computing resources over the Internet. This paper presents a structured review of cloud architectures, service models, and deployment strategies. A comparative analysis of key challenges, including service availability, data security, vendor lock-in, and compliance issues, is conducted based on real-world incidents. Furthermore, a Cloud Risk Mitigation Framework is proposed to classify risks into technical, security, operational, and regulatory domains and align mitigation strategies accordingly.

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