01 Term Project Topics

Updated 4 Oct 2026

Overview

This document contains all available topics for the Cloud Computing (CSS 451) and Computer Security (CSS 454) term project. Choose one topic from the groups below and reserve it in the course spreadsheet.

Group A: Searchable Encryption and Privacy-Preserving Data Access

1. Privacy-Preserving Range Query and Aggregation over Encrypted IIoT Data Using ABSE

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Range queries and data aggregation in Industrial IoT
Key Technology: Attribute-Based Searchable Encryption (ABSE)
Domain: IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)

Analogy: Like being able to search through locked filing cabinets without opening them—you can query encrypted sensor data from factories without exposing the raw information.

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Quantum-resistant searchable encryption
Key Features: Dynamic policy updates, user revocation
Use Case: Multi-group collaborative environments

Analogy: Think of a digital vault that's immune to quantum computer attacks, where you can change access rules on-the-fly and revoke permissions instantly—like a smart, future-proof digital safe.

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Advanced search capabilities over encrypted data
Key Features: Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), multiple keywords
Infrastructure: Multi-cloud systems

Analogy: Like Google search but for encrypted data across different cloud providers—you can use complex queries ("diabetes AND treatment NOT surgery") without decrypting anything.

4. Post-Quantum ABSE Supporting Wildcard and Exclusion Queries for Encrypted Cloud Data

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Flexible search patterns with quantum resistance
Key Features: Wildcard searches (*), exclusion queries
Security: Post-quantum cryptography

Analogy: Searching encrypted cloud files with patterns like "report_2024_*.pdf" while excluding certain categories—all while being safe from quantum computers.

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Precise permission management for IoT data
Key Features: Granular access control, multi-keyword search
Domain: IoT networks with multiple user groups

Analogy: Like having different keys for different rooms in a smart building—some people can search all sensor data, others only temperature data, all without decrypting what they can't access.

6. Secure and Efficient Query Processing over Encrypted Graph Databases in the Cloud

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Graph database queries on encrypted data
Applications: Social networks, knowledge graphs, relationships
Challenge: Maintaining efficiency while encrypted

Analogy: Analyzing a social network (who knows who) while the data stays encrypted—like finding connections in a web of relationships without seeing the actual names or details.

7. SQLias: SQL Injection Detection as a Service

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Detecting SQL injection attacks
Deployment: Service-based model
Protection: Database security

Analogy: Like having a security guard that specifically watches for people trying to sneak malicious commands into your database—provided as a cloud service you can subscribe to.

8. Cloud-Based NoSQL Injection Detection and Automated Corrective Response System

[x] TAKEN
Focus: NoSQL injection attack detection and mitigation
Key Feature: Automated response and correction
Database Type: NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra, etc.)

Analogy: A smart security system for modern databases that not only detects break-in attempts but also automatically fixes vulnerabilities and blocks attackers in real-time.

9. Scalable Privacy-Preserving Big Data Processing Framework for Sensitive IoT and EHR Datasets

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Large-scale privacy-preserving computation
Domains: IoT sensor data, Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Challenge: Scalability with privacy guarantees

Analogy: Processing millions of medical records and IoT sensor readings to find patterns without ever exposing individual patient data—like analyzing a crowd without identifying anyone.

Group B: Post-Quantum Security, Functional Encryption, and Advanced Cryptography

10. Lightweight Functional Encryption for Fine-Grained Data Access Control in Cloud–Edge Environments

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Efficient encryption for resource-constrained devices
Key Feature: Functional encryption (decrypt only specific functions)
Infrastructure: Cloud-edge computing

Analogy: Like giving someone a key that only unlocks the average temperature from your smart home, not the individual readings—efficient enough to run on tiny edge devices.

11. Post-Quantum Secure and Dynamic Load-Balanced Encryption for IIoT Data in Fog Computing

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Quantum-resistant encryption with load balancing
Architecture: Fog computing (between edge and cloud)
Domain: Industrial IoT

Analogy: Distributing encrypted factory data across fog nodes like spreading traffic across multiple roads—keeps everything secure from quantum attacks while preventing bottlenecks.

12. Post-Quantum Signcryption for Secure IoT Data Stream Processing in Cloud-Based Hadoop Systems

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Combined signing and encryption (signcryption)
Platform: Hadoop for big data processing
Security: Post-quantum resistance

Analogy: Signing and sealing a letter in one step (more efficient than doing separately) for IoT data streams—like a FedEx package that's both authenticated and secured, quantum-proof.

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Quantum-resistant attribute-based searchable encryption
Platform: Mobile cloud environments
Key Feature: User revocation mechanisms

Analogy: Secure mobile data sharing that survives quantum computing—like a WhatsApp group where you can search messages while encrypted and kick people out instantly.

Group C: Identity, Authentication, ZKP, and Decentralized Access Control

14. Decentralized Single Sign-On with Anonymous Authentication for Multi-Cloud Systems Using Zero-Knowledge Proofs

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Privacy-preserving SSO across clouds
Technology: Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP)
Feature: Anonymous authentication

Analogy: Logging into multiple cloud services with one credential while proving you're authorized without revealing who you are—like showing you're over 21 without showing your ID.

15. Scalable and Privacy-Preserving Blockchain-Based Decentralized Identity for Cross-Domain IoMT

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Self-sovereign identity for medical IoT
Technology: Blockchain
Domain: Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Analogy: Your medical devices and records having a digital passport that works across hospitals without a central authority—like having a universal medical ID that you control.

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Advanced SSO for healthcare data sharing
Technologies: Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), blockchain
Features: Aggregate authentication, flexible permissions

Analogy: Healthcare professionals collaborating on your records where you control who sees what, without a central gatekeeper—like a shared Google Doc but with blockchain-level security and privacy.

17. Real-Time and Dynamic PUF-Based Group Authentication for IoT in Edge–Cloud Computing

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Hardware-based authentication using Physical Unclonable Functions
Feature: Group authentication for IoT devices
Performance: Real-time processing

Analogy: Each IoT device has a unique "fingerprint" from its hardware (like how no two snowflakes are alike) used for instant group authentication—authenticating a swarm of drones as one unit.

18. Cross-Domain Bilateral Access Control with Real-Time Verification for IoT in 6G Wireless Networks

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Mutual access control across different domains
Network: 6G wireless
Performance: Real-time verification

Analogy: Two-way security handshake across different organizations' IoT networks at 6G speeds—like two embassies verifying each other's diplomats in milliseconds.

Group D: Auditing, Integrity, and Trust Management

19. Privacy-Preserving Deduplication and Data Integrity Auditing for Mobile Cloud Storage

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Detecting duplicate files while maintaining privacy
Feature: Integrity verification
Platform: Mobile cloud storage

Analogy: Finding duplicate photos in your cloud storage without the cloud provider seeing your actual photos, plus verifying no one has tampered with them—like a blind librarian organizing books without reading them.

20. Multi-Party Collaborative Auditing for Secure Outsourced Cloud Data

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Multiple parties jointly auditing cloud data
Use Case: Outsourced storage verification
Feature: Collaborative verification

Analogy: Multiple companies jointly checking that their shared cloud storage is intact without trusting a single auditor—like multiple accountants cross-checking the same books.

21. Real-Time and Batch Auditing of Encrypted Streaming Data Using Blockchain-Assisted Verification

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Auditing data streams and batches
Technology: Blockchain for tamper-proof logs
Data Type: Encrypted streaming data

Analogy: Verifying live video streams and recordings haven't been tampered with using blockchain—like a digital notary that timestamps and verifies everything in real-time.

Group E: Cloud, Edge, Kubernetes, and Resource Management Security

22. Federated Access Control Policy Management for Secure Multi-Cluster Kubernetes Environments

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Managing access policies across multiple K8s clusters
Architecture: Federated multi-cluster setup
Challenge: Consistent policy enforcement

Analogy: Centrally managing security rules for multiple Kubernetes clusters across different regions—like a franchise owner setting uniform security policies for all branches.

23. Fault-Tolerant and Load-Balanced IIoT Edge–Fog Architecture over Multiple Kubernetes Clusters

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Resilient architecture for industrial IoT
Features: Fault tolerance, load balancing
Infrastructure: Edge-fog-cloud with K8s

Analogy: Building an industrial IoT system that never goes down—if one cluster fails, others take over automatically, like a power grid that reroutes electricity when a line goes down.

24. Fine-Grained Access Control with Load-Aware Scheduling in Cloud–Edge Kubernetes Environments

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Combining security with performance optimization
Features: Granular permissions, intelligent task scheduling
Infrastructure: Cloud-edge K8s

Analogy: A smart factory system that not only controls who accesses what data, but also intelligently routes tasks to less-busy machines—security meets efficiency.

25. Multi-Level Access Control for Multi-VM Cloud Systems with Optimized Performance Monitoring

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Hierarchical security for virtual machines
Feature: Performance optimization
Platform: Multi-VM cloud environments

Analogy: Different security clearance levels for different VMs (like military clearances) while monitoring and optimizing how resources are used—security without sacrificing speed.

26. Group-Based Proxy Load Balancing Using Task-Priority-Aware Dynamic Quorum Selection

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Intelligent load balancing with priorities
Method: Dynamic quorum selection
Feature: Task prioritization

Analogy: A smart traffic controller that groups similar vehicles and prioritizes ambulances over regular cars, dynamically adjusting lanes—but for cloud tasks.

27. Adaptive Load-Aware Scheduling for Spark Workflows in Distributed Cloud Hadoop Environments

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Optimizing Apache Spark job scheduling
Platform: Distributed Hadoop clusters
Feature: Adaptive to current load

Analogy: A factory manager who constantly monitors which assembly lines are busy and redirects work to idle stations—but for big data processing jobs.

28. Lightweight Edge–Fog–Cloud Architecture with Post-Quantum Support for Real-Time Internet of Vehicles (IoV)

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Three-tier architecture for connected vehicles
Security: Post-quantum cryptography
Performance: Real-time processing for V2X communication

Analogy: A layered security system for self-driving cars where quick decisions happen at the edge (car), coordination at fog (roadside), and heavy analysis in the cloud—all quantum-proof.

29. Privacy-Preserving V2X Authentication Using Zero-Knowledge Proofs

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication security
Technology: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Privacy: Anonymous authentication

Analogy: Cars proving they're authorized to communicate with traffic lights and other vehicles without revealing their identity or location history—like a secret handshake that proves membership without showing ID.

30. Privacy-Preserving Cloud Intrusion Detection Using Encrypted Traffic Analytics

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Detecting attacks without decrypting traffic
Method: Analytics on encrypted data
Application: Cloud security monitoring

Analogy: A security guard who can spot suspicious behavior by watching movement patterns without seeing people's faces or reading their conversations—detecting threats while respecting privacy.

Group G: "As-a-Service" Model

31. Intrusion Detection As a Service (IDaaS)

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Cloud-based intrusion detection
Deployment: Service model
Benefit: Scalable security monitoring

Analogy: Netflix for security—subscribe to enterprise-grade intrusion detection without buying expensive hardware or hiring a security team. Just pay monthly and get protected.

32. Post-Quantum Signcryption-as-a-Service (PQEaaS)

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Quantum-resistant signing and encryption service
Deployment: API-based service
Security: Post-quantum cryptography

Analogy: Like using AWS Lambda for cryptography—call an API to sign and encrypt data with quantum-safe algorithms without implementing complex crypto yourself.

33. Zero-Knowledge Authentication-as-a-Service (ZK-AuthaaS)

[ ] TAKEN
Focus: Privacy-preserving authentication service
Technology: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Deployment: Cloud service

Analogy: Authentication service where users prove who they are without passwords or revealing identity—like Stripe for payments, but for privacy-preserving login.

34. Secure Data Deduplication-as-a-Service (SDDaaS)

[x] TAKEN
Focus: Privacy-preserving duplicate detection
Deployment: Cloud service
Benefit: Storage optimization with security

Analogy: A cloud service that removes duplicate files across your organization without seeing the actual files—like a blind organizing service that saves you storage space securely.

Topic Selection Guide

Choosing Your Topic

Consider these factors:

Interest: Choose something that excites you
Complexity: Match your team's skill level
Resources: Ensure you can access necessary tools/libraries
Innovation: Look for opportunities to add novel contributions
Publication potential: Some topics are more "hot" in research

Keywords to Understand

ABSE: Attribute-Based Searchable Encryption
Post-Quantum: Cryptography resistant to quantum computer attacks
ZKP: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
IIoT: Industrial Internet of Things
IoMT: Internet of Medical Things
V2X: Vehicle-to-Everything communication
EHR: Electronic Health Records
SSI: Self-Sovereign Identity
PUF: Physical Unclonable Function

Difficulty Levels (Estimated)

Beginner-Friendly (Good starting points):

Topics 7, 8, 31 (Service-based models are more implementation-focused)

Intermediate (Balanced theory and implementation):

Topics 1, 3, 6, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30

Advanced (Heavy cryptography/theory):

Topics 2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 32, 33, 34

Very Advanced (Cutting-edge research):

Topics 5, 9, 17, 18, 21, 28, 29

Next Steps

Review all topics in detail
Research 2-3 topics that interest you
Discuss with your team members
Reserve your chosen topic early
Read related papers to understand the state-of-the-art

Pro Tip: Choose a topic where you can find at least 5-10 recent papers (2020-2024). This indicates active research interest and will help with your literature review!

Cloud_Computing_Network_Security_Term_Project - Project requirements and timeline