Public Key Encryption with Keyword Search in Cloud: A Survey.

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Cryptography
• Information Security

Background:

• Cloud computing adoption necessitates secure data outsourcing.
• Data confidentiality is paramount, leading to encrypted data storage.
• Searching encrypted data without decryption is a critical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive survey of Public Key Encryption with Keyword Search (PEKS) schemes in cloud environments.
• To classify existing PEKS schemes based on their underlying cryptographic technologies.
• To identify potential applications and future research avenues for PEKS.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and classification of existing PEKS schemes.
• Categorization based on cryptographic foundations: PKI, IBE, ABE, Predicate Encryption, Certificateless Encryption, and Proxy Re-encryption.
• Analysis of technological advancements and research trends in PEKS.

Main Results:

• PEKS schemes are categorized into several variants based on advanced cryptographic primitives.
• The survey highlights the evolution and diversity of PEKS technologies for secure cloud data searching.
• Identified PEKS variants include those based on public key infrastructure, identity-based encryption, attribute-based encryption, predicate encryption, certificateless encryption, and proxy re-encryption.

Conclusions:

• PEKS is a vital cryptographic tool for enabling secure searches over encrypted cloud data.
• The study provides a structured overview of PEKS development and its technological landscape.
• Future research should explore novel applications and further enhance PEKS security and efficiency.