Communications of the ACM
Major Step Ahead For Cryptography
Researchers at the University of Bristol (UB) and Katholieke University have developed a new system for encrypted data computing that they say could have a broad impact on areas such as database access, electronic auctions, and electronic voting. "Our scheme allows for computations to be performed on encrypted data, so it may eventually allow for the creation of systems in which you can store data remotely in a secure manner and still be able to access it," says UB professor Nigel Smart, who developed the system along with Katholieke's Frederik Vercauteren.
Many encryption schemes have been proposed that either have the "add" operation or the "multiply" operation, but not both. In 2009, IBM researcher Craig Gentry developed the first scheme that simultaneously allows users to add and multiply ciphertexts. However, Gentry's scheme was only theoretical. Smart and Vercauteren's scheme is a simpler version of Gentry's scheme.
Although the new system is not fully practical, it is a key step toward forming a system which is truly practical.
From University of Bristol News
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Comments
Mark Duville
"Katholieke University" ? Should be "K.U. Leuven", the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium
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