International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

Cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) environments generate massive volumes of data that require secure and efficient protection mechanisms. Traditional encryption techniques either provide strong security with high computational cost or high efficiency with lower security guarantees. This study proposes a Lightweight Hybrid Encryption Framework (LHEF) that combines Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) for secure key exchange and ChaCha20 for fast data encryption. A simulation-based approach is used to evaluate performance using multiple parameters such as encryption time, decryption time, and key generation time. Data processing and analysis were conducted using structured simulation logs and visualization tools. The results indicate that LHEF achieves a balanced trade-off between security and performance compared to RSA and standalone symmetric encryption. The study highlights the effectiveness of hybrid encryption in modern cloud and IoT environment.

Shifa Bilal Tamboli, Simeen Phiroj Mulani, Arman Tajuddin Shiakh,"Lightweight Hybrid Encryption Framework (LHEF) for Secure and Efficient Data Protection in Cloud and IoT Environments" International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, V9(2): Page(2284-2288) Mar-Apr 2026. ISSN: 2581-7175. www.ijsred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.