A Definition of Cryptography in the Cloud

Cryptography in the cloud employs encryption techniques to secure data that will be used or stored in the cloud. It allows users to conveniently and securely access shared cloud services, as any data that is hosted by cloud providers is protected with encryption. Cryptography in the cloud protects sensitive data without delaying information exchange.

Cryptography in the cloud allows for securing critical data beyond your corporate IT environment, where that data is no longer under your control. Cryptography expert Ralph Spencer Poore explains that “information in motion and information at rest are best protected by cryptographic security measures. In the cloud, we don’t have the luxury of having actual, physical control over the storage of information, so the only way we can ensure that the information is protected is for it to be stored cryptographically, with us maintaining control of the cryptographic key.”

Cloud Cryptography and Security

The benefits of cloud computing are being realized by more companies and organizations every day. Cloud computing gives clients a virtual computing infrastructure on which they can store data and run applications. But, cloud computing has introduced security challenges because cloud operators store and handle client data outside of the reach of clients’ existing security measures. Various companies are designing cryptographic protocols tailored to cloud computing in an attempt to effectively balance security and performance.

Most cloud computing infrastructures do not provide security against untrusted cloud operators, which poses a challenge for companies and organizations that need to store sensitive, confidential information such as medical records, financial records, or high-impact business data. As cloud computing continues to grow in popularity, there are many cloud computing companies and researchers who are pursuing cloud cryptography projects in order to address the business demands and challenges relating to cloud security and data protection.

There are various approaches to extending cryptography to cloud data. Many companies choose to encrypt data prior to uploading it to the cloud altogether. This approach is beneficial because data is encrypted before it leaves the company’s environment, and data can only be decrypted by authorized parties that have access to the appropriate decryption keys. Other cloud services are capable of encrypting data upon receipt, ensuring that any data they are storing or transmitting is protected by encryption by default. Some cloud services may not offer encryption capabilities, but at the very least should use encrypted connections such as HTTPS or SSL to ensure that data is secured in transit.