Quantum-Resilient Hierarchical Encryption and Redundancy Algorithm for Secure Cloud Storage

With the various cloud storage systems and architectures that have changed, there is a realization, especially given the fact that typical encryption methods are only getting weaker due to the validity of quantum computing as it becomes common, and cyber-attacks are more sophisticated. This paper presents Quantum-Resilient Hierarchical Encryption and Redundancy (QHER) – a new algorithm under development to improve cloud storage security, integrity, and resilience. The QHER scheme utilizes three key components: the Post-Quantum Hybrid Encryption (PQHE) incorporates Lattice-based cryptography within a hybrid symmetric key encryption method, providing some degree of security while effectively blocking quantum attacks, the Multi-Tier Access Control (MTAC) uses hierarchical access based on role-based encryption policies, giving differently entitled stakeholders little to no unnecessary data exposure, and, Adaptive Redundant Fragmentation (ARF) re-distributes encrypted data fragments within a number of cloud nodes that uses an adaptive redundancy model for on-demand access and resilience to unauthorized data exposures or server failure. The QHER algorithm thoroughly offers enhanced security, performance, and scalability while achieving computational efficiency as well. Experimental data established that the QHER model is resilient against most current modern cryptographic attacks and effectively managed to secure cloud-stored data with less than 70 ms of latency.