In this talk, I will survey a number of efficient cryptographic techniques that can increase user privacy when storing and utilizing data stored in a cloud. I will first describe multiple vulnerabilities that exist (and are not protected by standard encryption and authentication mechanisms). I will then describe several general techniques that allow one to minimize these risks in case of a malicious (or negligent) cloud provider, including combatting insider threats. These techniques are based on several advances in cryptography that make theoretical results far more practical. I will also describe several applications of these techniques to real-life scenarios. The talk will be self-contained and accessible to the general audience.
Speaker Biography
Rafail Ostrovsky is a Professor of Computer Science and Professor of Mathematics at UCLA. Dr. Ostrovsky received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 1992. Prof. Ostrovsky’s research centers on various issues in theoretical computer science, including complexity theory, algorithms, cryptography and computer security. Prof. Ostrovsky is a Fellow of the International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR); he has 11 U.S. patents issued and over 200 papers published in refereed journals and conferences. Dr. Ostrovsky currently serves as Vice-Chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on Mathematical Foundations of Computing; he has served on 38 international conference Program Committees including as Program Chair for FOCS 2011. He is a member of the Editorial Board of JACM; Editorial Board of Algorithmica; and Editorial Board of Journal of Cryptology. In 2011, Dr. Ostrovsky was invited by the Honorable Michael B. Donley (Secretary of the Air Force) to serve on U.S. Air Force Third Annual National Security Scholars Conference. He was invited to be Plenary Speaker at a conference organized by FBI in 2009. Dr. Ostrovsky was a Plenary Keynote Speaker for Public Key Cryptography International Conference in 2007. Dr. Ostrovsky is a recipient of multiple awards and honors including Henry Taub Prize. At UCLA, Prof. Ostrovsky heads security and cryptography multi-disciplinary Research Center at Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.