Modern technologies of computing cloud are showing great promise, but at
the same time create new security challenges that hinder full
acceptance. Given that most of these services often use cloud networks
as channels for communication, securing data transmission is crucial.
This paper proposes a hybrid encryption algorithm, the proposed
two-layered PRC6 cipher, developed to achieve high security in cloud
computing environments with minimal resource constraints. The PRC6
cipher incorporates enhancements from Cha-cha into an extension of the
RC6 cipher. PRC6 implements double encryption. At the first level, the
plain text is divided into four equal parts, each encrypted by processes
derived from RC6, which include shifting, summation, modulo arithmetic,
and XOR with a generated key. The second level incorporates a Quarter
round function, among others, to further obscure the encoded message.
PRC6 is implemented in a parallel computing model to significantly
reduce overall computation time, especially important for lightweight
applications. Experimental results show that the algorithm can achieve a
high level of security for cloud workloads in only a few encryption
rounds. Performance evaluations against popular encryption standards
also indicate that PRC6 offers promising security benefits when
computational resources are limited. This hybrid approach presents a
viable solution for strengthening data protection in modern cloud
systems.