QUANTUM-RESISTANT CRYPTOGRAPHIC FRAMEWORKS FOR NEXT-GENERATION CLOUD COMPUTING SECURITY

Cloud computing has become the foundation of modern digital services, supporting applications in healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, and government sectors. Despite its numerous advantages, cloud computing faces increasing cybersecurity threats due to rapid technological advancements and the anticipated emergence of quantum computing. Traditional public-key cryptographic algorithms, including RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), may become vulnerable to quantum attacks. Consequently, researchers are actively investigating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to develop secure encryption techniques capable of resisting quantum-based attacks. This paper reviews quantum-resistant cryptographic frameworks for cloud computing, discusses leading post-quantum algorithms, implementation strategies, security challenges, performance considerations, practical applications, and future research directions. The study concludes that integrating quantum-resistant algorithms into cloud infrastructures will play a vital role in ensuring long-term cybersecurity.