Securing Data in the Cloud

大数据和云计算带来了新的隐私挑战。我们的个人设备(如笔记本电脑、手机、平板电脑)的带宽很低，只能执行轻量级计算。这些设备依靠云计算对大数据集执行搜索查询和其他类型的计算。但是，数据集可能包含应在云中加密的敏感信息(例如，医疗、财务、个人记录)，以维护安全和隐私。这就产生了一个根本性的问题：我们的个人设备无法使用云来对加密数据进行计算。我们可以在不泄露数据或程序描述的情况下，在云中对加密数据运行程序吗？我们是否可以在不重新下载数据和重新工作的情况下验证在云中执行的计算结果？我的长期研究计划是设计和开发新的加密算法、技术和方法，以保护云中的数据和程序。具体地说，这个项目将研究：(1)开发新的安全模型、方法和算法，用于云中加密数据的安全计算；(2)开发新的数学工具和算法，用于程序和代码混淆；以及(3)可验证计算技术的进步。这些算法和技术可以应用于各种应用程序，并帮助我们构建安全的云。随着从我们所有人那里收集的敏感信息越来越多，这些算法至关重要。此外，在本提案所述项目期间，我们将培训新一代安全专家。他们将获得高等数学、理论和实用密码学的知识，并学习如何对社会中出现的任何安全挑战进行推理。

Big data and cloud computing create new privacy challenges. Our personal devices (e.g., laptops, mobile phones, tablets) have low bandwidth and can perform only lightweight computations. These devices rely on the cloud to perform search queries and other types of computations over large datasets. However, the datasets may contain sensitive information (e.g., medical, financial, personal records) that should be encrypted in the cloud, in order to maintain security and privacy. This creates a fundamental problem: our personal devices cannot use the cloud to perform computations over encrypted data. Can we run a program over encrypted data in the cloud without revealing the data or the description of the program? Can we authenticate the results of the computations performed in the cloud without re-downloading the data and re-doing the work? My long-term research program is to design and develop new cryptographic algorithms, techniques and methods for securing data and programs in the cloud. Specifically, this project will study: (1) development of new security models, methods, and algorithms for secure computation over encrypted data in the cloud, (2) development of new mathematical tools and algorithms for program and code obfuscation, and (3) advancement of techniques for verifiable computation. The algorithms and techniques can be applied to a variety of applications and help us build secure clouds. As more and more sensitive information is collected from all of us, these algorithms are essential. Moreover, during the duration of the projects outlined in this proposal, we will train a new generation of security experts. They will gain knowledge of advanced mathematics, theoretical and practical cryptography and learn how to reason about any security challenge that arises in society.