A pairing-free identity based authentication framework for cloud computing

Abstract

Cloud Computing facilitates convenient on-demand access to networks, servers, storage, applications and services to the user with minimal management from user side. It is a client-server model in which user accesses a remote server to utilize resource or service cheaply and easily without owning. However, a user uses public network during access of cloud services while an adversary can get full control over the public network. Therefore, a user should adopt a mechanism in which user and server can authenticate each other and establish a secure session. Recently, Kang and Zhang proposed an Identity-Based mutual authentication in Cloud Storage Sharing using elliptic curve cryptography and claimed that their scheme can resist various attacks. However, we analyze the security aspects of the Kang and Zhang's scheme and identify some security flaws in their scheme. In this paper, we propose an enhanced identity based mutual authentication scheme for client-server cloud architecture. Further, we present security analysis of the scheme which shows that the proposed scheme supports flawless anonymous mutual authentication such that client-server can establish secure session. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.