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Cloud Tools · Foundations Pillar
Start here. NIST defines cloud computing as on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources, built from five essential characteristics, three service models (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS), and four deployment models. These breakdowns explain those building blocks and the shared responsibility model that decides who secures what.
NIST Definition
SP 800-145: the canonical definition of cloud computing
Service Models
IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and who manages what
Shared Responsibility
Provider security vs customer security
Regions & Zones
Where your data lives, and data residency
Provider-neutral foundations
Grounded in NIST, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud primary docs
Before you compare providers, get the model right. These three concepts underpin every cloud decision: what the cloud is, who secures it, and where your data physically lives.
The NIST definition (SP 800-145): on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources, rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort. It is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.
Under the shared responsibility model, the provider secures the underlying infrastructure while you secure what you put on top of it. The exact split shifts as you move across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and getting it wrong is a common source of misconfiguration.
Regions, availability zones, and edge locations determine the physical geography of your workloads. Data residency and regulations such as GDPR shape which regions you are allowed to use and where customer data may be stored.
Foundational breakdowns of the cloud, written to be provider-neutral and grounded in primary documentation.
The NIST definition, the five essential characteristics, and IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS, explained.
What the provider secures vs what you secure, and how it shifts across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
Region vs availability zone vs edge, and what data residency and GDPR mean for where your data lives.
Once you have the foundations, go deeper with the provider hubs.
When you move workloads to the cloud, your data is stored and processed in the provider's regions, which may be in different countries than your own. Review each provider's data residency, encryption, and retention controls, and confirm which region a service runs in before storing regulated or personal data. Free and trial tiers may carry different data-handling terms than paid enterprise tiers.
Cloud platforms increasingly bundle AI assistants that can make architecture, cost, and security recommendations. Keep deliberate human-in-the-loop review for anything consequential, and do not let an assistant replace your own judgment on decisions that matter. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis:
AI systems can produce plausible-sounding but incorrect guidance. For mental health, medical, legal, or financial decisions, always consult a qualified professional.
Under GDPR and CCPA, you have the right to access, correct, and delete personal data held by any cloud provider. Tech Jacks Solutions maintains editorial independence. These foundations articles were not sponsored, reviewed, or approved by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or any vendor mentioned, and we receive no affiliate commissions from them. Our explanations are grounded in primary documentation, including NIST SP 800-145 and the providers' own published shared responsibility and infrastructure docs.