A Partial-Filename Search Mechanism for Encrypted Filenames in a P2P Network

The efficiency and accuracy of data search, storage, confidentiality and security of P2P systems is a serious concern. Previous studies have proposed using a partial filename search function which allows the user to input a partial filename to search for associated filenames on the remote system. However, if the file name is encrypted for enhanced security, this search function is ineffective. This paper proposes a search mechanism for encrypted filenames. In the case of filename encryption, the proposed method can also achieve a partial filename search function while maintaining filename confidentiality. The proposed system was implemented on an Android smartphone to simulate encrypted filename search. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work done on partial-filename search for encrypted filenames.