Privacy-preserving data sharing in portable clouds

Abstract

Cloud storage is a cheap and reliable solution for users to share data with their contacts. However, the lack of standardisation and migration tools makes it difficult for users to migrate to another Cloud Service Provider (CSP) without losing contacts, thus resulting in a vendor lock-in problem. In this work, we aim at providing a generic framework, named PortableCloud, that is flexible enough to enable users to migrate seamlessly to a different CSP keeping all their data and contacts. To preserve privacy of users, the data in the portable cloud is concealed from the CSP by employing encryption techniques. Moreover, we introduce a migration agent that assists users in automatically finding a suitable CSP that can satisfy their needs.