In a public cloud, computing tasks are performed over a network of shared and distributed computing resources, rather than in the customer's own data center. (fortune.com)
That allows a hacker to gain access to any sensitive information sent over a network — credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails and photos — regardless of passwords or encryption. (newscientist.com)
But in some cases, internal policies require companies to maintain direct control over their network security and infrastructure. (nreionline.com)