Attribute-based encryption and other encryption techniques
Attribute-based approach is an encryption technique that secures data security in the cloud environment. The features of attribute-based encryption include user key, cipher-text encryption, and user credentials. However, attribute-based encryption is derived for the traditional public-key encryption.
Unlike other traditional encryption techniques, attribute-based encryption has a collusion resistance property. As a result, an adversary must have the user key to access secured files. Attribute-based encryption enables login security to mitigate multiple collusion attacks (Xavier & Chandrasekar, 2013).
As a result, the ABE provides creates structural attributes for encrypted messages and file sharing. Thus, the authorized user with identical attributes can access or decrypt the encrypted files.
The ABE approach facilitated the creation of various hybrids, which include cipher-text policy ABE, key-policy ABE, attribute-based broadcast encryption, multi-authority attribute-based encryption, and distributed attribute-based encryption. Data analysts classify these encryption techniques based on its importance to data security.
Consequently, the limitations of each encryption techniques make it less acceptable. Public-key encryption is a primitive encryption technique used in cloud computing. The encryption technique lacks various scalable options. As a result, the user attribute is inefficient and difficult to manage.
Attribute-based encryption identifies and encrypts the user key with attribute sets. Consequently, the client can manage, monitor, and share the PHR using identity sets. However, user revocation attributes are not supported in the ABE (Xavier & Chandrasekar, 2013).
The features of the public-key encryption include cryptography, public, and private key. As a result, the user can decrypt messages with the corresponding private or public-key. Public-key encryption enables two user access keys to the secured file. As a result, the user must have a public-key and a private key.
The public-key can encrypt confidential data in a cloud server while the private-key decrypts the encoded message. However, the cipher-text relays the message to the output server. Thus, the key encryption tool is the most significant feature of the public-key technique.
As a result, the user can secure and authenticate data integrity using the private key. However, the public-key algorithm limits the encryption process. As a result, the user must conduct multiple algorithms to relay and receive encrypted messages.
The digital signature is another component of public-key encryption (Xavier & Chandrasekar, 2013). In digital signature, the authentication mechanism relays the encrypted message. The features of digital signature include direct and arbitrated digital signature.
The applications of public-key cryptosystems include decision support system, RSA algorithm, elliptic curve, and Diffie-Hellman key change. The limitations of the public-key technique include computation cost, collusion attacks, and vulnerable to brute force attack.
The ID-based encryption is primitive techniques used to secure and share files in the cloud environment. The features of the ID-based encryption include Email or IP address, user identify, and text-value. Consequently, the protocol framework for the IBE includes setup, extract, encrypt, and decrypt.
The drawbacks of the IBE include data compromise, unauthorized access, system incompatibility, and code attacks. Consequently, the sender must install the recipient’s signature to relay secure messages. The IBE technique creates multiple task management schemes. As a result, the security paradox exposes encrypted files.
Unlike the ABE technique, the IBE does not have an on-demand revocation. The cipher-text policy ABE enables data encryption using access policy. As a result, authorized user must provide an identical decryption key. The secret key attribute is the main feature of the cipher-text policy.
Encrypted data can be relayed by third-party servers without compromise. As a result, authorized users must have the matched policy key to access encrypted folders in the cloud environment. However, user revocation is impossible during collusion attacks and data compromise.
The multi-authority ABE creates multiple user access to data security. As a result, each user has a restricted domain for operation.
The multi-authority encryption techniques can be used by health organization, insurance institutions, banks, and financial houses. The server operator provides level access based on the user authority (Xavier & Chandrasekar, 2013).
Benefits of attribute-based encryption
Variations of the ABE have been used by various researchers to evaluate the significance of cloud computing. However, the challenges of data security support the application of different ABE variations. The ABE variations have been used in public domains to reduce cost.
As a result, the ABE have been used to test different data security services in the cloud environment. Surveys revealed that the ABE supports scalable and secure sharing in cloud computing. Li, Yu, Zheng, and Ren (2013) discussed the advantages of attribute-based encryption for the secure exchange of scalable records.
The research findings revealed that patient privacy and confidentiality can be secure at low cost in the cloud environment. Bethencourt, Sahai, and Waters (2012) used the cipher-text policy to test the ABE variations. The research findings revealed that the CP-ABE eliminated collusion attacks in cloud servers.
Lekshmi and Revathi (2014) tested the CP-ABE technique using a multi-authority approach. The multi-authority technique enables different user access to secure files. Attribute-based encryption method and its variations improve data security the cloud environment.
References
Bethencourt, J., Sahai, A., & Waters, B. (2012). Cipher-text-policy attribute-based encryption. Retrieved from https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~bwaters/publications/papers/cp-abe.pdf
Lekshmi, V., & Revathi, P. (2014). Implementing secure data access control for multi-authority cloud storage system using cipher-text policy-attribute based encryption. Information Communication and Embedded Systems, 2(1), 1-6.
Li, M., Yu, S., Zheng, Y., & Ren, K. (2013). Scalable and secure sharing of personal health records in cloud computing using attribute-based encryption. Parallel and Distributed Systems, 24(1), 131-143.
Xavier, N, & Chandrasekar, V. (2013). Security of PHR in cloud computing by using several attribute based encryption techniques. International Journal of Communication and Computer Technologies, 1(7), 2278-9723.