Blockchain-Based System for Secure Data Storage with Private Keyword Search

Traditional cloud storage has relied almost exclusively on large storage providers, who act as trusted third parties to transfer and store data. This model poses a number of issues including data availability, high operational cost, and data security. In this paper, we introduce a system that leverages blockchain technology to provide a secure distributed data storage with keyword search service. The system allows the client to upload their data in encrypted form, distributes the data content to cloud nodes and ensures data availability using cryptographic techniques. It also provides the data owner a capability to grant permission for others to search on her data. Finally, the system supports private keyword search over the encrypted dataset.

I. Introduction

In the past few years, there has been a significant growth in the interest to outsource data as well as operational services to clouds. Traditional cloud storage has come to rely almost exclusively on large storage providers acting as trusted third parties to transfer and store data. This system poses a number of shortcomings including the performance, availability, security, and high operational cost.