The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Peter Mell Timothy Grance Special Publication 800-145 NIST Special Publication 800 -145 The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing Peter Mell Timothy Grance C O M P U T E R S E C U R I T Y Computer Security Division Information Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899- 8930 September 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce Rebecca M. Blank, Acting Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Patrick D. Gallagher, Under Secretary for Standards and Technology and Director ii Reports on Computer Systems Technology The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the National Institut e of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes the U.S. economy and public welfare by providing technical leadership for the nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure. ITL develops tests, test methods, reference data, proof of concept implementatio ns, and technical analysis to advance the development and productive use of information technology. ITL’s responsibilities include the development of technical, physical, administrative, and management standards and guidelines for the cost -effective secur ity and privacy of sensitive unclassified information in Federal computer systems. This Special Publication 800- series reports on ITL’s research, guidance, and outreach efforts in computer security and its collaborative activities with industry, governmen t, and academic organizations. Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. National I nstitute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800 -145 7 pages ( September 2011) iii Acknowledgements The authors Peter Mell and Timothy Grance of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would like to thank the many experts in industry and government who contributed their thoughts to the creation and review of this definition. We especially acknowledge Murugiah Souppaya and Lee Badger, also of NIST, and Wayne Jansen of Booz Allen Hamilton, whose advice and technical insight assisted this effort. Errata The following changes have been incorporated into Special Publication 800- 145, as of the date indicated in the table. DATE TYPE CHANGE PAGE NUMBER 4/27/2012 Editorial Corrected page nu mber from “2” to “1” 1 1 1. Introduction 1.1 Authority The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed this document in furtherance of its statutory responsibilities under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, Public Law 107- 347. NIST is responsible for developing standards and guidelines, including minimum requirements, for providing adequate information security for all agency operations and assets; but such standards and guidelines shall not apply to national security systems. This guideline is consistent with the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A -130, Section 8b(3), “Securing Agency Information Systems,” as analyzed in A -130, Appendix IV: Analysis of Key Sections. Supplemental information is provided in A -130, Appendix III. This guideline has been prepared for use by Federal agencies. It may be used by nongovernmental organizations on a voluntary basis and is not subject to copyright, though attribution is desired. Nothing in this document should be taken to contradict sta ndards and guidelines made mandator