| Cloud computing has continued to experience tremendous growth in recent years, with organizations increasingly leveraging the platform to empower businesses (optimize operation, improve customer engagement, and support the business decision-making process). However, in spite of the success stories inherent to the cloud adoption, lack of adequate security measures remains a critical impediment. The multi-tenancy architecture of the cloud platform facilitates resource sharing among multi-user (including the bad actors), which makes the platform more susceptible to attack. This study examined the use of the hybrid intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to mitigate botnet security threats in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud platform. The study investigated the impact of HIDS and the degree to which the HIDS correlates with the network-based intrusion detection system (NIDS) and host-based intrusion detection system (HBIDS) to prevent botnet threats in the IaaS platform. The research employed a correlational, non-experimental quantitative research method that utilized a survey-based technique to collect and analyze the data. The study participants comprised of C-level executives and experienced IT personnel from a broad range of IT domain knowledge, drawn from LinkedIn Network and SurveyMonkey panelists. The researcher employed the descriptive and correlational (Spearman's Correlation) statistical analyses to derive inferences from the test hypotheses to provide answers to the research questions. The outcome of the investigation suggested substantial support for the use of the HIDS to prevent botnet malware in the IaaS cloud computing. Further, the study highlighted a strong correlation, with a positive statistical significance, between the HIDS and NIDS, and between the HIDS and HBIDS. Moreover, the result suggested strongly, the use of the HIDS to secure and safeguard cloud-based services, organizations' data, applications, and services against botnet malware threats in the cloud (IaaS) platform. |
