Quantum-Safe Key Management System for Cloud Computing Using a Hybrid Framework

Abstract

Advantages of Cloud Computing include its flexibility, scalability, cost savings, and around-the-clock availability with the latest features. It’s a cloud-based remote access paradigm that allows users to access computer resources like servers, storage, and apps. Storage service, a key offering in cloud computing, provides secure and backed-up data across the globe, making it ideal for client organizations. However, cloud environments are often multi-tenant, raising concerns about data security, as both internal and external attacks can target confidential data stored in the cloud.Cloud computing providers do not guarantee complete data security, so client organizations prefer to secure data at their end by encrypting it before storing it in the cloud, requiring them to manage the encryption and decryption keys. A Key Management System (KMS) is essential for managing these keys and their associated metadata, including generation, distribution, storage, backup, recovery, and destruction. However, security issues like data confidentiality and unauthorized user access may arise.In my thesis, I have worked on a distributed Key Management System (KMS), including premise-based and cloud-based KMS, for managing cryptographic keys. My research combines traditional cryptographic algorithms with quantum cryptography primitive (Lattices)to secure keys against classical as well as quantum attacks while minimizing security concerns related to cloud-based KMS.