A Blockchain-based Flight Data Recorder for Cloud Accountability

TL;DR

This paper proposes a blockchain-based system for enhancing accountability in cloud infrastructures, addressing issues like SLA violations and data breaches by leveraging smart contracts.

Contribution

It introduces a novel blockchain-based flight data recorder system designed to improve accountability in cloud environments.

Findings

Blockchain can improve transparency in cloud accountability

Smart contracts enable automated enforcement of SLAs

Enhanced traceability of cloud data and operations

Abstract

Many companies rely on Cloud infrastructures for their computation, communication and data storage requirements. While Cloud services provide some benefits, e.g., replacing high upfront costs for an IT infrastructure with a pay-as-you-go model, they also introduce serious concerns that are notoriously difficult to address. In essence, Cloud customers are storing data and running computations on infrastructures that they can not control directly. Therefore, when problems arise -- violations of Service Level Agreements, data corruption, data leakage, security breaches -- both customers and Cloud providers face the challenge of agreeing on which party is to be held responsible. In this paper, we review the challenges and requirements for enforcing accountability in Cloud infrastructures, and argue that smart contracts and blockchain technologies might provide a key contribution towards accountable Clouds.