Hybrid Cryptographic Approach to Safeguard Cloud Computing Services: A Survey

Cloud computing is a broad solution that cost-effectively delivers information technology as a service that encourages organizations and individuals to transfer their data and applications to the cloud. It may be used for storing and accessing sensitive information on servers beyond the management and control of the customers making this information susceptible to malicious attacks. Therefore, data security is a fundamental issue that limits the benefits of this technology. Cryptography plays an important role in achieving an appropriate level of data security on the cloud. Hybrid cryptography exploits the advantages of symmetric and asymmetric cryptosystems by blending them instead of applying separately. In this article, an experimental survey has been conducted on the trending hybrid cryptographic models to secure information on the cloud within the period from 2017 to 2020. Each model was reviewed and simulated separately by explaining the methodology, its advantages, weaknesses, and application areas. An important point in this article is the implementation of all of these models using the Python programming language then an analytical comparison of the results was obtained in terms of encryption time and throughput. We aim to provide a scientific contribution in the field of information security in the cloud computing environments.