A cloud network is an interconnection of computer systems and resources that are hosted and delivered over the Internet, often through cloud computing services provided by third-party providers. These networks are designed to facilitate the storage, processing, and transmission of data and applications across distributed and virtualized infrastructure, rather than relying solely on on-premises hardware and traditional local area networks (LANs). Key characteristics of a cloud network include virtualization, on-demand services, scalability, resource pooling, self-services, network connectivity, security and compliance, and cost efficiency. Cloud networks often use virtualization technologies to create virtual instances of servers, storage, and networking components.