Quantum-resistant chain-of-custody for multi-provider container orchestrations

Abstract

The rapid adoption of multi-provider container orchestration has introduced critical vulnerabilities in chain-of-custody (CoC) management, where logs and provenance records remain fragmented across heterogeneous cloud environments with inconsistent trust models. This study proposes a quantum-resistant CoC framework integrating lattice-based post-quantum signatures and zero-knowledge proofs for verifiable and privacy-preserving provenance tracking. Experimental evaluation in a simulated Kubernetes multi-cloud environment achieved a tamper detection rate exceeding 99.98% with acceptable performance overhead. The framework aligns with GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISO/IEC 27037 standards, providing a robust foundation for forensic-grade provenance management in the quantum era.