According to the NIST definition, which three are essential characteristics of cloud computing?

The definition of cloud computing established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) emphasizes essential characteristics that make it distinct from traditional forms of computing. Among these are on-demand self-service, which allows users to automatically provision computing capabilities as needed without requiring human interaction with service providers. This characteristic highlights the convenience and efficiency of cloud services, making it an essential feature for users and businesses working in a dynamic environment.

Elasticity is another critical attribute of cloud computing. This refers to the ability to automatically scale resources up or down in response to changing demand. It allows organizations to efficiently manage workloads, ensuring that they have the necessary resources during peak times without incurring costs for unused capacity during lower demand periods.

Resource pooling is also fundamental to the cloud computing model. Providers serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, meaning that computing resources are dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. This characteristic promotes efficiency and maximizes resource utilization across multiple clients.

The other options, while important aspects of cloud environments, do not constitute the core characteristics as defined by NIST. Secure login, for instance, is more of a security feature than a defining characteristic of cloud computing itself. It addresses the need for security measures in accessing cloud services but is not inherent