What does 'cloud security' encompass?

Cloud security encompasses measures and policies designed to protect data, applications, and services hosted in cloud environments. This includes everything from securing access to cloud services, ensuring data privacy, managing identity and access permissions, to implementing protections against threats such as data breaches and denial-of-service attacks.

By focusing on the entirety of the cloud computing environment, cloud security needs to accommodate the unique risks associated with cloud architecture, which involves remote hosting and shared resources. The goal is to create a secure, compliant framework that permits safe usage of cloud services while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data.

The other choices are narrower in focus and do not capture the full scope of cloud security. For instance, guidelines for cloud service providers alone would not address the end-user security responsibilities. Similarly, physical security in data centers is just one aspect of the broader concept. Lastly, while encryption standards play a vital role in protecting cloud data, they are just one component of a comprehensive cloud security strategy, which must include policies, governance frameworks, user training, and risk management as well.