Securing the Cloud Continuum: A Communication Management Perspective

The computing continuum paradigm is set to shape the future of distributed systems by seamlessly integrating cloud, edge, and IoT infrastructures. This paradigm enables dynamic workload distribution across heterogeneous environments, improving scalability, latency, and resource utilization compared to cloud-centric models. However, the nature of the computing continuum introduces security management challenges that existing mechanisms do not address. Ensuring network-level workload isolation across heterogeneous layers and administrative domains remains a significant open problem. This paper investigates this challenge from a communication management perspective and proposes a structured classification of continuum communication patterns, along with an intent-based blueprint for a secure, robust, and scalable solution.