CRYPTOGRAPHIC APPROACHES TO FILE METADATA SECURITY IN MODERN INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

In modern information systems, file metadata has become an essential component for data management, interoperability, and automated processing. However, metadata often contains sensitive information such as authorship, timestamps, device identifiers, and contextual attributes, which can be exploited to compromise confidentiality and user privacy. While traditional security mechanisms primarily focus on protecting data content, metadata security remains insufficiently addressed.

This paper investigates cryptographic approaches to file metadata security in modern information systems. The proposed approach is based on selective cryptographic protection of metadata using symmetric, asymmetric, and hybrid encryption schemes. By treating metadata as a first-class security object, the approach ensures confidentiality, integrity, and controlled access while preserving system functionality and interoperability. Comparative analysis demonstrates that cryptographic protection provides stronger security guarantees than conventional metadata removal or obfuscation techniques, with minimal computational and storage overhead. The results indicate that cryptography-based metadata protection is a practical and effective solution for secure data exchange in enterprise systems, cloud environments, and electronic government platforms.