Blockchain-based distributed storage systems for data security in critical cloud infrastructures

Authors

Keywords:

Distributed storage, blockchain, integrity verification, critical infrastructures, scalability, distributed consensus

Abstract

This descriptive-correlational research characterizes integrity verification mechanisms implemented in blockchain-based distributed storage systems for critical infrastructures and analyzes scalability techniques applied in these operational contexts. The study employs systematic literature synthesis methodology, analyzing 28 specialized sources documenting real implementations in critical sectors during 12-month operational periods. Findings reveal fundamental trade-offs between cryptographic complexity of consensus algorithms and system operational efficiency, where Hybrid Proof of Stake mechanisms represent the most adopted approach while systems with Trusted Execution Environments demonstrate superior performance. Sharding techniques show significant effectiveness for horizontal scalability, with robust correlations between specialized hardware optimizations and computational overhead reduction. The research establishes conceptual frameworks for informed architectural decisions in critical infrastructures, providing empirical foundation for blockchain technology selection based on specific requirements for performance, security, and operational availability. Results contribute theoretical understanding of distributed systems while offering practical guidance for technology architects, system administrators, and organizational decision-makers responsible for critical infrastructure implementations requiring high integrity guarantees and operational resilience.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alhazmi, H. E., Eassa, F. E., & Sandokji, S. M. (2022). Towards big data security framework by leveraging fragmentation and blockchain technology. IEEE Access, 10, 10768–10782. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3144632

Alshahrani, H., Islam, N., Syed, D., Sulaiman, A., Al Reshan, M. S., Rajab, K., Shaikh, A., Shuja-Uddin, J., & Soomro, A. (2023). Sustainability in blockchain: A systematic literature review on scalability and power consumption issues. Energies, 16(3). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031510

Berger, C., Schwarz-Rüsch, S., Vogel, A., Bleeke, K., Jehl, L., Reiser, H. P., & Kapitza, R. (2023). SoK: Scalability techniques for BFT consensus. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11045

Chen, J., Wang, Y., Huang, Z., Ruan, C., & Hu, C. (2022). A decentralized public auditing scheme for secure cloud storage based on blockchain. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3688164

Dhulavvagol, P. M., R, P. M., Kundur, N. C., N, J., & Totad, S. G. (2023). Scalable blockchain architecture: Leveraging hybrid shard generation and data partitioning. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 14(8), 2023. https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2023.0140839

Duan, W., Jiang, Y., Xu, X., Zhang, Z., & Liu, G. (2022). An edge cloud data integrity protection scheme based on blockchain. Security and Communication Networks, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5016809

Feng, T., Wang, D., & Gong, R. (2023). A blockchain-based efficient and verifiable attribute-based proxy re-encryption cloud sharing scheme. Information, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/info14050281

Gai, F., Niu, J., Beschastnikh, I., Feng, C., & Wang, S. (2022). Scaling blockchain consensus via a robust shared mempool. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2203.05158

Gousteris, S., Stamatiou, Y. C., Halkiopoulos, C., Antonopoulou, H., & Kostopoulos, N. (2023). Secure distributed cloud storage based on the blockchain technology and smart contracts. Emerging Science Journal, 7(2), 469–479. https://doi.org/10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-012

Guo, H., Xu, M., Zhang, J., Liu, C., Yu, D., Dustdar, S., & Cheng, X. (2022). FileDAG: A multi-version decentralized storage network built on DAG-based blockchain. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.09096

Huang, J., & Yi, J. (2024). The key security management scheme of cloud storage based on blockchain and digital twins. Journal of Cloud Computing, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13677-023-00587-4

Khalid, M. I., Ehsan, I., Al-Ani, A. K., Iqbal, J., Hussain, S., Ullah, S. S., & Nayab. (2023). A comprehensive survey on blockchain-based decentralized storage networks. IEEE Access, 11, 10995–11015. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3240237

Khan, H., Zahoor, E., Akhtar, S., & Perrin, O. (2022). A blockchain-based approach for secure data migration from the cloud to the decentralized storage systems. International Journal of Web Services Research, 19(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijwsr.296688

Liu, S. (2023). Towards secure blockchain-enabled cloud computing: A taxonomy of security issues and recent advances. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 14(8), 2023. https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2023.01408101

Liu, Y., Hao, X., Ren, W., Xiong, R., Zhu, T., Choo, K.-K. R., & Min, G. (2023). A blockchain-based decentralized, fair and authenticated information sharing scheme in zero trust internet-of-things. IEEE Transactions on Computers, 72(2), 501–512. https://doi.org/10.1109/TC.2022.3157996

Rahman, M. A., Abuludin, M. S., Yuan, L. X., Islam, M. S., & Asyhari, A. T. (2022). EduChain: CIA-compliant blockchain for intelligent cyber defense of microservices in education industry 4.0. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 18(3), 1930–1938. https://doi.org/10.1109/TII.2021.3093475

Sasikumar, A., Ravi, L., Kotecha, K., Abraham, A., Devarajan, M., & Vairavasundaram, S. (2023). A secure big data storage framework based on blockchain consensus mechanism with flexible finality. IEEE Access, 11, 56712–56725. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3282322

Sharma, A., & Kaur, P. (2023). Tamper-proof multitenant data storage using blockchain. Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications, 16(1), 431–449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12083-022-01410-8

Taher, S. S. H., Ameen, S. Y., & Ahmed, J. A. (2024). Enhancing blockchain scalability with snake optimization algorithm: A novel approach. Frontiers in Blockchain, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2024.1361659

Xie, S., Kang, D., Lyu, H., Niu, J., & Sadoghi, M. (2025). Fides: Scalable censorship-resistant DAG consensus via trusted components. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2501.01062

Xu, M., Liu, S., Yu, D., Cheng, X., Guo, S., & Yu, J. (2021). CloudChain: A cloud blockchain using shared memory consensus and RDMA. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2106.04122

Zhang, J., & Datta, A. (2023). Blockchain-enabled data governance for privacy-preserved sharing of confidential data. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.04125

Zhang, Y., Geng, H., Su, L., & Lu, L. (2022). A blockchain-based efficient data integrity verification scheme in multi-cloud storage. IEEE Access, 10, 105920–105929. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3211391

Zhou, W., Wang, H., Mohiuddin, G., Chen, D., & Ren, Y. (2022). Consensus mechanism of blockchain based on PoR with data deduplication. Intelligent Automation and Soft Computing, 34(3), 1473–1488. https://doi.org/10.32604/iasc.2022.029657

Zichichi, M., D’Angelo, G., Ferretti, S., & Marzolla, M. (2023). Accountable clouds through blockchain. IEEE Access, 11, 48358–48374. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3276240

Published

2025-10-01

How to Cite

Sañudo-Alvarado, C. A., Choez-Chancay, D. A., Bonilla-Lastra, J. L., Rodríguez-Sares, E. A., & Decimavilla-Alarcón, D. C. (2025). Blockchain-based distributed storage systems for data security in critical cloud infrastructures. Revista UGC, 3(S3), 149–164. Retrieved from https://universidadugc.edu.mx/ojs/index.php/rugc/article/view/237