Trusted Cloud Framework Using Searchable Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cloud services lack trust and security, as data transmitted to network services can be vulnerable to privacy concerns and tampering, leading to user discomfort due to loss of control over data once it leaves the user's physical possession.
Innovation Solution
A trusted cloud services ecosystem is established, separating key generation, cryptographic technology provision, and cloud services, using searchable encryption techniques to ensure data is encrypted and accessible only based on subscriber identity, with validation and verification mechanisms to ensure data integrity and privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is transmitted to cloud services for remote storage and processing, then service functionality and accessibility are improved, but data security and user trust deteriorate due to loss of physical control
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cloud service architecture into distinct functional components: encryption service, storage service, and processing service. Each component operates independently with defined interfaces, allowing users to control which services are accessed and how data is handled at each stage, thereby maintaining security while enabling versatile cloud functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary trust layer is introduced between the user and cloud services, consisting of encryption services that transform data before storage and verification services that validate data integrity during processing. This intermediary layer prevents direct access to raw data by cloud providers while still enabling functional services, thus resolving the contradiction between service accessibility and data security.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to protect data privacy, then data security is improved, but data accessibility and utility deteriorate due to inability to process encrypted data
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption approach is made dynamic rather than static. Data is encrypted at rest with strong cryptography, but during processing, the system dynamically decrypts only the specific data elements needed for the current operation, processes them, and re-encrypts them for storage. This dynamic approach maintains privacy while enabling selective accessibility for processing.
Solution Approach 2:
Different encryption and decryption operations are applied to different portions of data based on local requirements. The system decrypts only the specific data elements needed for processing while leaving other data encrypted, allowing selective accessibility without compromising overall data privacy. This local quality approach enables processing where needed while maintaining encryption elsewhere.
3Productivity
If cloud services are provided by third-party network providers, then service scalability and resource availability are improved, but user control and trust deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides universal control mechanisms that work across all cloud service providers and service types. Users have a unified interface for managing encryption keys, controlling data access policies, and verifying data integrity regardless of which cloud provider or service is being used. This universal control layer maintains user authority while leveraging the scalability of multiple third-party providers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms where users receive verification of data integrity, access control status, and processing operations. Through cryptographic proofs and verification services, users can monitor and confirm that their data is being handled according to specified policies, maintaining control and trust even when using scalable third-party infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A digital escrow pattern is provided for network data services including searchable encryption techniques for data stored in a cloud, distributing trust across multiple entities to avoid a single point of data compromise. In one embodiment, a key generator, a cryptographic technology provider and a cloud services provider are each provided as separate entities, enabling a publisher of data to publish data confidentially (encrypted) to a cloud services provider, and then expose the encrypted data selectively to subscribers requesting that data based on subscriber identity information encoded in key information generated in response to the subscriber requests, e.g., a role of the subscriber.