A SCALABLE AND SECURE CLOUD DATA STORAGE MODEL USING AES CRYPTOGRAPHY AND ACCESS CONTROL POLICIES

Abstract

Cloud computing has become a fundamental platform for large-scale data storage due to its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. However, the outsourcing of sensitive data to third-party cloud providers introduces significant security and privacy challenges, including unauthorized access, data breaches, and insider threats. To address these concerns, this paper proposes a Scalable and Secure Cloud Data Storage Model that integrates Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cryptography with robust access control policies. The proposed framework ensures data confidentiality by encrypting files at the client side before uploading them to the cloud, thereby preventing unauthorized disclosure even if the storage server is compromised. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) mechanisms are implemented to enforce fine-grained authorization, allowing only authenticated users to access or modify data based on predefined roles and privileges. The model also incorporates secure key management and audit logging to enhance accountability and traceability. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that the proposed system achieves high security with minimal computational overhead while maintaining scalability for large datasets. The framework provides a practical and efficient solution for secure cloud data storage in enterprise and academic environments.