STTR Phase I: Building a Trustworthy Cyberspace through Data Security as a Service

Privasera Inc., Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project lies in protecting against data breaches that affect healthcare, financial, and other enterprises, especially breaches on cloud-based systems due to third-party developers. Using the proposed technology, enterprises can innovate faster - utilizing cloud computing and application market stores without exposing data to breaches - while third-party developers can sell applications to improve citizens' health and finances without being slowed down by regulations and compliance. The technology will spur innovation by securing data and through new applications that are deployed within weeks instead of years. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project breaks new ground in controlling data as it is used by untrusted applications and in making secure applications easier to build. Specifically, an enterprise can control access to their data through use of the proposed technology, which ensures that data in use cannot be leaked to an unintended recipient. Currently, encryption and HIPAA compliance only protect data at rest or in transit - but most breaches are when data is in use. For developers, the technology provides an application design pattern that scales to large applications and does not require security expertise to develop for. Hence, developers can iterate on functionality quickly and instead of wasting time with security regulations, focus on providing the best healthcare and financial benefits possible. In summary, the proposed innovation is crucial to unlocking the potential of exponentially growing cloud- and application-markets.