Achieving confidentiality in electronic health records using cloud systems

Currently, existing methods for enforcing access to records in an Electronic Health Record system relies on a single Trusted Server which stores health records and mediates access. Such Trusted Severs employ either a Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (CP-ABE) or Key-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (KP-ABE) method for storing and controlling access. However, Trusted Server storage of health records is susceptible to single-point-of-threat attack and a successful attack invariably leads to compromising the integrity of records on the server. In this research work. This paper presents a methodology that defines and creates simple Access Structures and eliminates need for private keys during encryption and/or decryption of health records which is the Enhanced Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (ECP-ABE). The ECP-ABE yields high cryptographic performance creates simple Access Structures, eliminates need for private keys and presents an implementation architecture that makes cloud-based EHR system secure and confidential. The ECP-ABE also performs cryptographic functions using less CPU time, minimal computer memory and produces high encryption and decryption throughput especially with increasing file sizes.