A Possible Solution for Privacy Preserving Cloud Data Storage

Abstract

Despite the economic advantages of cloud data storage, many corporations have not yet migrated to this technology. While corporations in the financial sector cite data security as a reason, corporations in other sectors cite privacy concerns for this reluctance. In this paper, we propose a possible solution for this problem inspired by the HIPAA safe harbor methodology for data anonymization. The proposed technique involves using a hash function that uniquely identifies the data and then splitting data across multiple cloud providers. We propose that such a "Good Enough" approach to privacy-preserving cloud data storage is both technologically feasible and financially advantageous. Following this approach addresses concerns about privacy harms resulting from accidental or deliberate data spills from cloud providers. The "Good Enough" method will enable firms to move their data into the cloud without incurring privacy risks, enabling them to realize the economic advantages provided by the pay-per-use model of cloud data storage.