Full-Stack Privacy: Cryptography to People and Back Again

Title: Full-Stack Privacy: Cryptography to People and Back Again

Abstract: Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) facilitate fine-grained control over how data can be accessed and used.  While some PETs have found widespread adoption, most have yet to realize their potential social impact.  Further developing these PETs requires carefully marrying real-world design constraints with deliberately cultivated theory.

In this talk I will present my 'full stack' approach to PETs research, spanning multiple traditional security and privacy research areas.  This broad approach simultaneously centers concrete impact while uncovering new theoretical directions inspired by real-world challenges.  First, I will illustrate this dynamic using my work on secure multiparty computation (MPC), which includes dynamic participation models for MPC and ongoing MPC deployments.  Second, I will discuss constructing cryptographic applications that allow sensitive communication to avoid censorship using realistic steganography.  I will conclude by highlighting future directors for full stack privacy research, including specific PETs and social contexts.

Bio: Dr. Gabe Kaptchuk is a Research Assistant Professor in Boston University's Department of Computer Science and a Civic Technology Fellow in Boston University's Faculty of Computing and Data Science. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University in 2020, under the supervision of Matt Green and Avi Rubin. His research is inspired by a desire to prepare cryptographic systems for high-impact, real-world deployment.  Dr. Kaptchuk has also worked in the policy sphere, in the United States Senate, and in industry, at Intel Labs.