Using Blockchain in Cloud Computing to Enhance Relational Database Security

Abstract

Cloud computing has now become a very standardised concept in our society. However, many modern applications need a better level of security that includes saving data from internal breaches. Thus, cloud databases need effective security mechanisms to keep track of data modifications. This paper will introduce the enhanced structure of cloud relational database (RDB) based on blockchain technology (BC) named BC over cloud-RDB. Through a self-verification mechanism, it enables the client to detect and prevent erroneous RDB manipulation. We proposed two systems to improve cloud-RDB namely, agile BC-based RDB and secure BC-based RDB. Both are distributed among several cloud service providers based on the Byzantine Fault Tolerance consensus. Additionally, both rely on linking records to each other using the SHA-256. At the same time, secure BC-based RDB uses a proof-of-work consensus to make data offensive operation impossible. On the basis of performance of both systems' and security analysis, the agile BC-based RDB is highly suggested for the high throughput database. On the other hand, the secure BC-based RDB is recommended for RDB that contains sensitive data and low throughput performance. The improved RDB is flexible and can be operated according to the data owner's specifications.