Dan Boneh on the past, present & future of cryptography
Oct 23, 2019
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Dan Boneh, a professor and researcher in applied cryptography and computer security at Stanford, discusses the past, present, and future of cryptography. They delve into topics such as the evolution of cryptography, the integration of blockchain, the balance between transparency and privacy, the preo system, linear probabilistically checkable proofs, soundness error, preventing supply chain attacks, enhancing security in U2F tokens, multi-linear maps, and BLS signatures.
Zero-knowledge technology can protect privacy in data collection, allowing manufacturers to analyze aggregate data without compromising individual user privacy.
Snarks enable off-chain transaction processing and verification, improving blockchain scalability and privacy.
Finding the ideal snark implementation and ensuring correctness and security pose challenges that require collaborations and ongoing research.
Zero-knowledge proofs resolve the conflict between transparency and privacy in blockchains, supporting private transactions and improving security.
Deep dives
Telemetry data and privacy
One project that focuses on the privacy of telemetry data is Preo. In the age of connected products, manufacturers can collect data from their products to improve and optimize them. However, this raises privacy concerns as manufacturers can potentially have access to sensitive user information. Preo addresses this conflict by allowing manufacturers to collect aggregate data without compromising individual user privacy. For example, car manufacturers can analyze data on tire inflation rates without knowing how specific individuals are using their cars. This project demonstrates how zero-knowledge technology can be applied to protect privacy in data collection.
Scaling Blockchains with Snarks
Another interesting application of zero-knowledge proofs is in scaling blockchains. Rollups, such as those using Snarks, allow for off-chain transaction processing and verification, reducing the load on the main blockchain. Snarks enable the aggregation and verification of thousands of transactions, which are then posted as a single proof on the blockchain. This technology offers improved scalability and privacy, making it a promising solution for handling large transaction volumes. Despite ongoing research and advancements in snark implementations, projects can already start to leverage existing implementations like Bellman to enhance their blockchain scalability.
Challenges in Snark Implementation and Peer Review
Although there are numerous developments in snark technology, the fast pace of advancements poses challenges for proper peer review and full-scale implementation. Different snark methods excel in different areas, and finding the ideal snark that combines the best features is still an open problem. Additionally, auditing and ensuring the correctness, security, and privacy properties of snark implementations can be complex and requires specialized expertise. However, with collaborations, professional audits, and ongoing research, these challenges can be addressed to provide robust and reliable snark implementations.
Balancing Transparency and Privacy in Blockchains
The use of zero-knowledge proofs in blockchains offers a solution to the conflict between transparency and privacy. Blockchains aim to provide public verifiability, allowing anyone to validate transaction correctness, while maintaining the privacy of sensitive information. Zero-knowledge proofs enable users to prove the validity of transactions without revealing the underlying data. This technology supports private transactions, such as confidential business data in public blockchains or salaries in cryptocurrency payments. Zero-knowledge proofs are a crucial tool that helps resolve the fundamental privacy and verifiability conflict in blockchains, paving the way for improved security and usability.
Telemetry and Aggregate Data in Layer Four
Layer four, the client-facing layer of a network, requires telemetry and aggregate data to assess the usage and performance of the network. The use of aggregate data allows companies to collect general information without revealing specific user details or the underlying data. This conflict between utility and privacy can be resolved using cryptography, such as the Pre-O system, which collects aggregate information while maintaining privacy.
The Pre-O System and Zero-Knowledge Proofs
The Pre-O system, a protocol developed by researchers, enables companies to collect aggregate information without compromising privacy or revealing the underlying data. To ensure the accuracy of the data and prevent attacks, a zero-knowledge proof mechanism was developed specifically for proving facts about shared secret data. This mechanism, known as linear PCP, provides a powerful tool for verifying secret shared data. The Pre-O system offers an alternative to traditional approaches like homomorphic encryption and differential privacy, making it suitable for large-scale deployment.
The Challenges and Potential of Obfuscation and Post-Quantum Security
Looking ahead, the field of cryptography faces exciting challenges and possibilities. One area of interest is obfuscation, a cryptographic mechanism that conceals secret keys within code. Practical obfuscation holds immense potential for enhancing security in various applications, including blockchain and secure hardware. However, current obfuscation techniques are inefficient, and ongoing research aims to improve their practicality. The field of post-quantum cryptography is also rapidly evolving, addressing the threat of quantum computers to traditional cryptographic systems. Work is underway to develop short post-quantum signatures and explore new directions like post-post-quantum security. Overall, the future of cryptography promises continued innovation, encompassing areas like obfuscation, quantum security, and beyond.
In this, our special 100th episode of the Zero Knowledge Podcast, we caught up with Dan Boneh, professor and researcher in applied cryptography and computer security at Stanford. In this far-reaching conversation, we talk about Dan's background in the field of cryptography, how the field has evolved over the years, his work on cryptography & blockchain education, where zero knowledge research and SNARKs in particular fits into the field, some exciting new research coming out of the Applied Cryptography Group at Stanford, what cryptographic and engineering problems he thinks we should be focused on solving, and more.
This episode covered a lot of ground and even though we went overtime, there is still so much more to talk about. We hope to have Dan back on the show sometime soon!
In the meantime, here are some resources that might help you explore some of the topics covered:
