Realistic Encryption

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dennis Hofheinz
• Subject Area: Theoretical Computer Science
• Term: from 2011 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 194304940

Public-key encryption (PKE) is at the heart of modern cryptography. PKE schemes are of crucial relevance in many real-world applications such as e-banking, e-commerce, or simply secure email. The security of PKE in the context of confidentially transmitting messages is well-understood. However,our globally connected world offers new challenges and dangers for cryptographic systems. Genuinely modern scenarios such as wireless sensor networks or simply hard disk encryption require much more than only confidentiality from an encryption scheme.The "Realistic Encryption" project (GZ HO 4534/2-1, running since October 2011) deals specifically with PKE schemes in modern scenarios. In the course of the project, we have developed several practical PKE schemes suitable for modern settings. For two reasons, we apply for a renewal of the project:- So far, we have developed ideas and techniques that were necessary to construct realistic PKE schemes. To fully exploit the potential of these new ideas and techniques, however, a renewal is necessary.- In the course of the project, external work made it possible to consider applications and security properties that could not be handled at the time of the initial proposal. To exploit and integrate these external developments into our work, a renewal is necessary. In this proposal, we detail the accomplishments of the initial "Realistic Encryption" project, and how a potential renewal could affect the outcome of this project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants