A proposed framework for outsourcing and secure encrypted data on OpenStack object storage (Swift)

Abstract

Despite the numerous potential benefits of Open Source Cloud Computing (OSCC) in several industrial and academic-oriented environments, OSCC could be also associated with some risks. However, which a proper awareness to the cloud consumers or organisations, these risks can be clearly identify and avoided. OpenStack Swift security can provide a greater understanding of how OpenStack Swift functions and what types of security issues arise therein. In this study, a lightweight and robust cloud-based security model for OpenStack object storage within a cloud computing environment is proposed. Swift is a multi-user based model in which every owner encrypts her/his files; each owner uses different levels of cryptographic security. A reduction in the key distribution complexity in this diverse model with a variety of security based settings is critical. Note that proposed model incorporates cryptographic algorithms at the first level (authentication/authorisation) and a hash function to introduce a more secure access method for authentication and authorisation.