User Authentication Framework with Improved Performance in Multi-cloud Environment

Abstract

Cloud computing is an internet-based computing where shared resources, software and information provided to the end-users, on demand. The end users can be comfortable with the cloud as its features on-demand self-services, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service, make it more efficient. Security is one of the major issues which hamper the growth of cloud. Confidentiality–Integrity–Availability are the major security goals to be ensured by the security mechanisms. Authentication could provide a better solution in all three aspects. Various authentication based methodologies proposed by experts are in the field, with their own strength and weakness. This paper proposed an authentication scheme along with performance enhancement. Initial phase of the proposal differentiates the request as wired or wireless network. Based on which, appropriate authentication protocol comes into play, wired adopts keystroke behaviour and wireless follows SSID. In the second phase, users behaviour were analysed and credits assigned to them, based on which resource accessibility is restricted. In the third phase, performance characteristics were taken into account. Analytical results support the claim to enhance the security services and also the performance factors such as resource utilizations and cost.