Enhancing Mobile Cloud Computing Security Using Steganography

Abstract

Cloud computing is an emerging and popular method of accessing shared and dynamically configurable resources via the computer network on demand. Cloud computing is excessively used by mobile applications to offload data over the network to the cloud. There are some security and privacy concerns using both mobile devices to offload data to the facilities provided by the cloud providers. One of the critical threats facing cloud users is the unauthorized access by the insiders (cloud administrators) or the justification of location where the cloud providers operating. Although, there exist variety of security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access by unauthorized user by the cloud administration, but there is no security provision to prevent unauthorized access by the cloud administrators to the client data on the cloud computing. In this paper, we demonstrate how steganography, which is a secrecy method to hide information, can be used to enhance the security and privacy of data (images) maintained on the cloud by mobile applications. Our proposed model works with a key, which is embedded in the image along with the data, to provide an additional layer of security, namely, confidentiality of data. The practicality of the proposed method is represented via a simple case study.

A Dynamic Four-Step Data Security Model for Data in Cloud Computing Based on Cryptography and Steganography

“…Both the private cloud for software as a service model (SaaS) [6] and the three-step data security model based on cryptography and steganography [7] do not facilitate data backups before the data is transmitted. Therefore, there is a need to introduce and develop a data security model with an added security layer to back up the data and employ steganography alongside the encryption algorithms used in cloud computing to improve the data's security and privacy [21].…”

“…The requirement for the security model to offer the capability for backing up data is adapted from the security model to enhance mobile cloud computing security using steganography [21]. The authors of the model that works with a key embedded in the image and the data to provide an additional security layer for data confidentiality argue that the users are responsible for downloading and/or uploading information from or to the cloud and creating backup files [21]. We conducted more research on disaster recovery techniques in cloud computing [30] and cloud-based disaster recovery and planning models [31].…”

“…The model shall enable data recovery in the cloud. The idea of using data recovery as a requirement in the proposed security model is also adapted from the security model to enhance mobile cloud computing security using steganography [21]. The authors of the security model suggest that data backup and recovery processes should be implemented as one technique in the security model [21].…”

“…The idea of using data recovery as a requirement in the proposed security model is also adapted from the security model to enhance mobile cloud computing security using steganography [21]. The authors of the security model suggest that data backup and recovery processes should be implemented as one technique in the security model [21]. Similarly, we researched disaster recovery techniques in cloud computing [30] and cloud-based disaster recovery and planning models [31].…”