Attribute-based encryption scheme with multi-keyword search and supporting attribute revocation in cloud storage

Area of Science:

• Cryptography and Information Security
• Cloud Computing Security
• Data Privacy

Background:

• Attribute-based encryption (ABE) is crucial for secure data sharing in cloud environments.
• Existing ABE schemes often lack efficient multi-keyword search capabilities and fine-grained access control with revocation.
• User privacy and search query confidentiality are significant challenges in cloud-based data retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel attribute-based encryption scheme supporting multi-keyword search and attribute revocation in cloud storage.
• To enhance data security and user privacy during cloud data access and retrieval.
• To achieve secure and fine-grained access control with efficient keyword searching.

Main Methods:

• Development of an ABE scheme utilizing binary attributes and AND-gate access policies.
• Implementation of a multi-keyword search mechanism based on attribute matching and keyword tokens.
• Integration of an attribute revocation mechanism involving version updates for attributes, secret keys, and ciphertexts.
• Security analysis based on Decisional Linear (DL) and Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumptions.

Main Results:

• The proposed scheme enables accurate multi-keyword search, ensuring data users only access relevant ciphertexts.
• User search privacy is preserved as cloud servers cannot infer keywords of interest.
• The scheme provides secure fine-grained access control and supports efficient attribute revocation.
• Security proofs demonstrate resistance against selectively chosen-keyword and chosen-plaintext attacks, ensuring token privacy.

Conclusions:

• The developed ABE scheme effectively addresses the challenges of secure multi-keyword search and attribute revocation in cloud storage.
• It offers enhanced security, improved data access control, and robust privacy protection for users.
• The scheme provides a practical solution for secure data management in cloud environments.