Encrypted Cloud: A Software Solution for the Secure Use of Free-Access Cloud Storage Services

Cloud services provide a means to ease information storage and sharing. In the case of Small and Medium Enterprises, this represents a great opportunity to deploy platforms for data exchange without the high costs of traditional Information Technology solutions. Nonetheless, the adoption of the cloud implies a risk in terms of the security and privacy of the stored information assets. This risk is even more relevant when we opt for free cloud storage services. In this work we present Encrypted Cloud, a solution to endow users of free cloud storages with a mechanism to encrypt their information before uploading it. Since data sharing is a must for cloud users, Encrypted Cloud also enables the exchange of cryptographic keys in a secure way. Encrypted Cloud assumes a zero-trust context and correspondingly incorporates a thorough integrity verification protocol. Finally, Encrypted Cloud acts as a central entry point upon multiple free cloud storage services. This being the case, our tool enables users to allocate their resources in multiple cloud storages, and it also makes it possible to define a data redundancy policy.