Attribute-Based Protocol for Secure Data Sharing Among Semi-Trusted Entities in Third-Party Service Environments

Abstract

Securing data storage and sharing has become a primary concern in today’s application domains, prompting the exploration of Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) protocols as a practical solution. ABE allows data owners to build access structures and share data with users based on specific attributes. However, existing ABE protocols typically require pairing operations, which leads to significant computational overhead. In addition, the inherent dependence of ABE systems on key generation centers raises security concerns. To address these challenges, we propose a novel data sharing protocol. Our protocol empowers data owners to retain control over data access, thereby reducing the risks associated with compromised key generation centers. This is achieved by fusing Shamir’s secret sharing and attribute-based encryption schemes. In addition, we reduce the computational burden on the data owner by offloading part of the encryption overhead to the cloud. Furthermore, we confirm the robustness of our protocol against potential cryptographic attacks through formal proofs. These properties highlight the versatility of our solution to securely store and share data in various real-world scenarios.