Securing Data in Motion and at Rest: A Cryptographic Framework for Cloud Security

Ishva Jitendrakumar Kanani

Abstract: As cloud computing becomes the cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data has emerged as a foundational challenge. In shared, elastic, and multi-tenant environments, traditional perimeter-based models fail to adequately protect sensitive information. This paper explores a cryptographic framework tailored for securing data in motion and at rest in cloud-native architectures. It examines how encryption technologies, key management practices, and policy enforcement can be strategically applied to protect data across its lifecycle. The discussion integrates operational requirements such as scalability and performance with security principles such as key isolation and access governance. The paper concludes with an evaluation of common implementation pitfalls, integration strategies with identity and access management, and a forward-looking analysis of emerging cryptographic paradigms including post-quantum algorithms and confidential computing.

Keywords: Cloud Security, Cryptography, Data Protection, TLS, Key Management, Confidential Computing, Identity Access Management, DevSecOps, Secrets Management