Grid computing security: A taxonomy

Security issues to the grid computing and available countermeasures have been analyzed that can be helpful in developing solutions to address these issues. Host-level issues corresponds to an on-demand grid systems in which the hosts, a computer system that includes PCs and servers, affiliate themselves to the grid. This system has local and remote jobs and security issues arise as local and remote jobs share memory and CPU resources, resulting in potential local data corruption and local job starvation. Architecture-level issues address security concerns for the grid system as a whole and involve various issues such as information security, policy mapping, and resource hacking. In grid computing, researchers and practitioners have come together to develop the Grid Security Infrastructure (GSI) that defines secure grid systems. The GSI provides solutions such as secure communication, authentication, and delegation mechanisms for grid applications and users.