Explainer: How AWS EC2 Illustrates Infrastructure as a Service

An article on DEV Community explains Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a cloud model where users rent virtualized computing resources such as servers, storage, networking and processing power instead of buying physical hardware. It uses Amazon Web Services' EC2 as a case study, describing how users can launch virtual machines called instances to host applications and websites. The piece outlines the benefits of IaaS, including lower costs, scalability, flexibility and fast deployment, alongside drawbacks such as internet dependency, security risks, technical demands and unexpected expenses. It also notes AWS's shared responsibility model, under which the provider secures the physical infrastructure while customers secure their own operating systems, applications and data.