ITR: Discreet Proofs for Electronic Commerce Applications

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop new tools based on the notion of "discreet proof" for ensuring security of electronic-commerce transactions. This type of proof is "discreet" in the sense that it reveals no more than is strictly necessary for the purposes of a given transaction. Discreet proofs are useful in providing authenticity, confidentiality, anonymity, accountability, and other properties often needed to ensure security of a transaction. For example, discreet proofs can be used to decouple the information in a medical database regarding a patient's medical condition and treatment from the patient's identity, thereby protecting the patient's privacy while simultaneously providing accountability in the dispensing of drugs and facilitating the collection of aggregate data for socially desirable goals. Constructing discreet proofs for a given application can be technically challenging. Expected research results include i) software tools to automate the construction of discreet proofs; ii) specific proofs for frequently used cryptographic primitives in E-commerce; iii) practical protocols based on discreet proofs for E-commerce applications. Through its educational component, the project is expected to increase the pool of adequately trained personnel in the growing area of E-commerce.