This book addresses topics related to cloud and Big Data technologies, architecture and applications including distributed computing and data centers, cloud infrastructure and security, and end-user services. The majority of the book is devoted to the security aspects of cloud computing and Big Data.  Cloud computing, which can be seen as any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that extends the Internet’s existing capabilities, has gained considerable attention from both academia and the IT industry as a new infrastructure requiring smaller investments in hardware platforms, staff training, or licensing software tools. It is a new paradigm that has ushered in a revolution in both data storage and computation. In parallel to this progress, Big Data technologies, which rely heavily on cloud computing platforms for both data storage and processing, have been developed and deployed at breathtaking speed. They are among the most frequently used technologies for developing applications and services in many fields, such as the web, health, and energy. 
Accordingly, cloud computing and Big Data technologies are two of the most central current and future research mainstreams. They involve and impact a host of fields, including business, scientific research, and public and private administration.  
Gathering extended versions of the best papers presented at the Third International Conference on Cloud Computing Technologies and Applications (CloudTech’17), this book offers a valuable resource for all Information System managers, researchers, students, developers, and policymakers involved in the technological and application aspects of cloud computing and Big Data.