Ensuring data confidentiality and authentication through encryption at application layer

Abstract

Cloud computing has emerged as a powerful and viable architecture to meet large-scale and complex computational needs of the organizations. It extends the IT capability by providing on-demand access to computer resources for dedicated use. Data security and privacy are the major concerns over the cloud from user perspective. Consequently, the organizations which deal with cloud computing should amicably address the key data security risks. In this paper, a generic scheme of user authentication and data confidentiality has been introduced. We introduce a tool that encrypts/decrypts the user data at application layer using public key infrastructure. The information security experts of both the sides i.e. cloud users and service providers must comprehend and address the risk and security issues in detail before actually benefiting high-end computing power offered by the cloud computing paradigm.