Privacy-preserving data processing on the cloud. This project aims to address the current lack of privacy of user data processed by common cloud computing web servers, including email, business data, and confidential files. This project aims to develop new techniques in cryptography. The anticipated outcome is a suite of practical tools enabling common cloud computing processing operations such as search, statistical analysis, and multi-user access control, to be performed efficiently while pres ....Privacy-preserving data processing on the cloud. This project aims to address the current lack of privacy of user data processed by common cloud computing web servers, including email, business data, and confidential files. This project aims to develop new techniques in cryptography. The anticipated outcome is a suite of practical tools enabling common cloud computing processing operations such as search, statistical analysis, and multi-user access control, to be performed efficiently while preserving the data privacy. These tools should provide significant benefits to the privacy of cloud users, as well as financial and reputation benefits to the IT industry, by significantly reducing the likelihood of massive user data privacy breaches in the event of a cyber-hacking attack on the cloud server.Read moreRead less
Security Applications of Combinatorial Puzzles. This project provides a basis for improving the implementation and maintenance of key management systems. The application of discrete mathematics to information security will help safeguard Australia, will provide opportunities for Australians to take a leading role in an important area and will develop a research network, bridging both theoretical and practical aspects of mathematics and computer science. The project will enhance Australia's inter ....Security Applications of Combinatorial Puzzles. This project provides a basis for improving the implementation and maintenance of key management systems. The application of discrete mathematics to information security will help safeguard Australia, will provide opportunities for Australians to take a leading role in an important area and will develop a research network, bridging both theoretical and practical aspects of mathematics and computer science. The project will enhance Australia's international reputation by establishing collaborations with well-respected international mathematicians and computer scientists. The proposal contains topics suitable for the training of new graduates, allowing them to make high quality original research contributions in a novel and important area. Read moreRead less
Cryptographic Protocols: Proofs and Designs. Cryptographic protocols are the foundation for protection of the critical electronic communications infrastructure on which much of commerce and industry rely. They will increasingly be required in emerging technologies such as ad-hoc wireless networks and sensor networks. This project will provide the ability to design new and efficient protocols with a mathematical guarantee of security. The resulting practical protocols will benefit all users of el ....Cryptographic Protocols: Proofs and Designs. Cryptographic protocols are the foundation for protection of the critical electronic communications infrastructure on which much of commerce and industry rely. They will increasingly be required in emerging technologies such as ad-hoc wireless networks and sensor networks. This project will provide the ability to design new and efficient protocols with a mathematical guarantee of security. The resulting practical protocols will benefit all users of electronic communications who require security for their information. This includes the financial industries, government, commerce and domestic users.Read moreRead less
Technical and Legal Models for Virtual Info-Sharing Networks (VISN) for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). This project has substantial national benefit because it will result in the design of a virtual information sharing network (VISN) that will better protect Australia's critical infrastructure. It will provide a comprehensive legal/technical analysis of the requirements/characteristics necessary for the development of a VISN. The development of a secure environment for a VISN will i ....Technical and Legal Models for Virtual Info-Sharing Networks (VISN) for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). This project has substantial national benefit because it will result in the design of a virtual information sharing network (VISN) that will better protect Australia's critical infrastructure. It will provide a comprehensive legal/technical analysis of the requirements/characteristics necessary for the development of a VISN. The development of a secure environment for a VISN will improve industry trust and confidence in participating in the sharing of sensitive information; especially the disclosure of potential vulnerabilities or ascertained potential threats. The project will improve information dissemination speeds and assist post information disclosure controls. Read moreRead less
Internet authentication protocols: theory and practice. Authentication is the foundation for secure electronic communication. It is the first step for many everyday online processes such as remote login or electronic banking. This project aims to make analysis of such protocols more realistic and more complete, allowing online communication to become more secure for both corporate users and individuals.
Cryptographic Protocols from Pairings: Proofs and Designs. Modern society has become critically dependent on information and communications infrastructures. At the same time, the development of e-commerce is being slowed by lack of confidence in its security. By providing increased assurance and enhanced cryptographic security protocols this research will improve the dependability of the nation's information and communications infrastructure, as well as encourage the growth of e-commerce. Throu ....Cryptographic Protocols from Pairings: Proofs and Designs. Modern society has become critically dependent on information and communications infrastructures. At the same time, the development of e-commerce is being slowed by lack of confidence in its security. By providing increased assurance and enhanced cryptographic security protocols this research will improve the dependability of the nation's information and communications infrastructure, as well as encourage the growth of e-commerce. Through the expertise and experience gained with this project, Australia's excellence in information security research will be reinforced. The training of PhD and Honours students will provide a much needed source of highly trained information security professionals.Read moreRead less
Post-Quantum Functional Encryption : Principles, Protocols and Practice. Modern cryptography has the power to revolutionise virtually every aspect of our online lives. Large-scale secure data sharing could become a breeze, with tools such as functional encryption (FE) to give us fine control over access rights by means of expressive languages, and there will be no more juggling of crypto keys. Finally, the known foundations of FE will crumble when even small-sized quantum computers become realit ....Post-Quantum Functional Encryption : Principles, Protocols and Practice. Modern cryptography has the power to revolutionise virtually every aspect of our online lives. Large-scale secure data sharing could become a breeze, with tools such as functional encryption (FE) to give us fine control over access rights by means of expressive languages, and there will be no more juggling of crypto keys. Finally, the known foundations of FE will crumble when even small-sized quantum computers become reality, perhaps next decade. This project aims to recreate and expand the power of FE from post-quantum (PQ) mathematical principles, immune to quantum attacks, building on recent discoveries of limited forms of PQ-FE from rock-solid crypto principles. It begs exploring, for the truly spectacular outcomes likely to ensue.Read moreRead less
Secure Electronic Voting with Flexible Ballot Structure. It is inevitable that electronic voting will eventually replace current paper based voting schemes. Despite considerable research no secure solution is available for an electronic voting scheme allowing complex election rules, such as preferential voting used in Australia. The main outcome of the research will be the fundamental knowledge required to develop general secure and flexible electronic voting schemes. The security aspects of the ....Secure Electronic Voting with Flexible Ballot Structure. It is inevitable that electronic voting will eventually replace current paper based voting schemes. Despite considerable research no secure solution is available for an electronic voting scheme allowing complex election rules, such as preferential voting used in Australia. The main outcome of the research will be the fundamental knowledge required to develop general secure and flexible electronic voting schemes. The security aspects of the design will be thoroughly analysed to ensure that the integrity of the ballot is maintained without compromising user privacy. The practical aspects of implementing such a system will also be investigated and a prototype implementaion provided.Read moreRead less
Specifications, Proofs and Animations for Cryptographic Protocols. Cryptographic protocols are fundamental security tools for electronic communications. Despite years of intensive research it remains difficult to obtain high confidence in the security of almost any new protocol. Research in the computer security community has emphasised formal specifications and state based searching, while the cryptographic community has concentrated instead on complexity theoretic proofs. This project will un ....Specifications, Proofs and Animations for Cryptographic Protocols. Cryptographic protocols are fundamental security tools for electronic communications. Despite years of intensive research it remains difficult to obtain high confidence in the security of almost any new protocol. Research in the computer security community has emphasised formal specifications and state based searching, while the cryptographic community has concentrated instead on complexity theoretic proofs. This project will unify these two approaches for the first time by formally specifying and animating the very models used in cryptographic proofs. The result will be proofs that are uniquely accessible to practioners combined with increased confidence that the proofs are both correct and relevant.Read moreRead less
Efficient and Secure Word-Based Stream Ciphers for Wireless Communications. Wireless networks are increasingly being used for communication, and to manage and control Australia's critical infrastructure. However, current methods of securing wireless networks are flawed, putting the country's economy, environment, and citizens at risk. The most reliable method for protecting wireless communications requires secure and efficient encryption algorithms. However, flaws have been found in most algo ....Efficient and Secure Word-Based Stream Ciphers for Wireless Communications. Wireless networks are increasingly being used for communication, and to manage and control Australia's critical infrastructure. However, current methods of securing wireless networks are flawed, putting the country's economy, environment, and citizens at risk. The most reliable method for protecting wireless communications requires secure and efficient encryption algorithms. However, flaws have been found in most algorithms proposed to date. This project will examine existing algorithms and attacks to determine design criteria for secure encryption algorithms for use in a wireless environment. An algorithm which meets these criteria and can be implemented efficiently in hardware and software will be proposed.Read moreRead less