Cloud & Security
IBM SkillsBuild
Cloud computing fundamentals and cybersecurity awareness.
Cloud Service Models
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service
Renting physical computing infrastructure.
Example: AWS EC2 for hosting servers.PaaS
Platform as a Service
A development environment in the cloud.
Example: Google App Engine.SaaS
Software as a Service
Fully hosted applications.
Example: Salesforce, QuickBooks Online.Cybersecurity Threats
Phishing Attacks
Phishing is a social engineering attack where bad actors send deceptive emails or messages that look legitimate to trick employees into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links. Impact: Unauthorized system access, data breaches, financial loss. Mitigation: Employee training, multi-factor authentication, and email filtering tools.
Ransomware
Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts an organization's data and demands payment for the decryption key. It often spreads through phishing emails or unpatched vulnerabilities. Impact: Operational shutdown, reputational damage, and steep financial losses. Mitigation: Regular data backups, endpoint protection, and network segmentation.
Reflection
Personal career reflection: How do cloud computing and cybersecurity relate to your career goals?
As someone pursuing financial analysis and fintech, understanding cloud computing and cybersecurity is not optional — it is foundational. Every major financial institution runs on cloud infrastructure, whether AWS, Azure, or IBM Cloud, and the data those systems handle is among the most sensitive in the world. A financial analyst who cannot speak to data security risks or understand SaaS versus IaaS distinctions will be at a disadvantage when advising firms on technology investments. This module gave me the vocabulary and framework to engage in those conversations confidently.
