Blockchain-based distributed storage systems for data security in critical cloud infrastructures
Keywords:
Distributed storage, blockchain, integrity verification, critical infrastructures, scalability, distributed consensusAbstract
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
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
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Cinthia Aracely Sañudo-Alvarado, Diego Armando Choez-Chancay, José Luis Bonilla-Lastra, Edison Andrés Rodríguez-Sares, Diana Carolina Decimavilla-Alarcón

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista UGC agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.





