Efficient and Secure Distributed Cloud Storage with Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and Green Proof of Data Possession

In today's digital era, the increasing reliance on cloud storage demands robust mechanisms to ensure data security, privacy, and integrity. This project proposes "Efficient and Secure Distributed Cloud Storage with Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and Green Proof of Data Possession", a novel architecture that enhances data confidentiality and auditing in distributed cloud environments. The system integrates four major modules: Data Owner, Private Key Generator (PKG), Third Party Auditor (TPA), and Cloud Server, each interacting through a secure flow. Unlike traditional systems that assume a fully trusted auditor and rely heavily on the Random Oracle Model (ROM), our solution addresses real-world threats by eliminating this dependency and incorporating a challenge-response proof mechanism. ECC is employed for its lightweight, high-security encryption, making it ideal for resource-constrained environments. The proposed auditing scheme introduces a green (resource-efficient) proof generation and verification technique, ensuring minimal computational overhead while maintaining high trust and data correctness. The process begins with the PKG issuing private keys to verified users, followed by secure file upload and tag generation by the data owner. Audit requests initiated by the data owner are managed by the TPA, who challenges the cloud for proof of data possession. Upon successful verification, an OTP is issued, enabling the data owner to decrypt and download the file securely. This system significantly reduces computational costs, improves scalability, and eliminates reliance on untrusted third parties, ensuring a secure, efficient, and real-world viable cloud storage solution.

Keywords: Cloud Storage, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), Green Proof of Data Possession, Data Integrity, Secure File Auditing, Third Party Auditor (TPA), Private Key Generator (PKG), Django, Python, OTP-based Decryption, Distributed System Security.