In cloud security, what do shared responsibility models define?

• A. The exact hardware layout and datacenter location of the cloud provider.
• B. They define which security tasks are the provider vs the customer; misconfigurations at customer side often cause breaches; defenders must secure their portion.
• C. The pricing model for security features and data transfer.
• D. The performance SLAs for encryption throughput.

Answer: (B)

Shared responsibility models define which security tasks are handled by the cloud provider and which are handled by the customer. The provider secures the underlying cloud infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for securing their data, identities, access controls, configurations, and applications within that cloud environment. This division is crucial because misconfigurations on the customer side are a common breach vector, even when the provider’s infrastructure is secure. For example, overly permissive access settings or publicly exposed storage can lead to breaches despite solid platform security. The model isn’t about hardware layout or datacenter location, pricing for security features, or encryption throughput SLAs.