Abstract

Ensuring secure authentication in cloud environments remains a critical challenge due to the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. Traditional cryptographic methods often struggle to balance security and computational efficiency, leading to potential vulnerabilities. This study proposes an improved authentication model that integrates both symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic techniques, specifically leveraging Dilithium and the eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme (XMSS). The model incorporates Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM) to enhance computational security and mitigate side-channel attacks by executing cryptographic operations in isolated memory regions. The proposed framework combines Dilithium, a post-quantum lattice-based digital signature scheme, with XMSS, a hash-based signature method that ensures forward security. The model employs HTM-assisted encryption and decryption, optimizing key generation, verification, and storage within the cloud infrastructure. Performance evaluation was conducted using real-time cloud authentication scenarios with 10,000 authentication requests processed under varying network loads. Experimental results demonstrate an authentication latency reduction of 27.5%, an increase in cryptographic key resilience by 39%, and a 56.3% improvement in resistance to quantum-based attacks compared to conventional cryptographic models.

Authors

Maram Subba Lakshmi, Dhirendra Kumar Tripathi
Mansarovar Global University, India

Keywords

Cloud Authentication, Post-Quantum Cryptography, Dilithium, XMSS, Hardware Transactional Memory