Scalable Cryptographic Protocol Design for Ensuring Confidentiality and Integrity in Multi-Cloud Federated Distributed Systems

Abstract

The increasing reliance on multi-cloud federated distributed systems in critical infrastructures demands robust cryptographic protocols to ensure both confidentiality and data integrity across decentralized environments. Traditional security architectures often fall short when scaled across cloud federations due to inconsistent trust models, key management challenges, and latency overheads. This study proposes a scalable cryptographic protocol framework optimized for federated multi-cloud systems, employing a hybrid encryption approach integrated with blockchain-based audit trails and lightweight homomorphic encryption. Experimental simulations across heterogeneous cloud platforms demonstrate improved scalability, minimal latency, and enhanced confidentiality integrity trade-offs. The results highlight the necessity of rethinking cryptographic protocol design for next-generation federated cloud systems.