Project description
Exploring timed-release cryptography
Cryptographic algorithms are the foundation of security protocols, but they are not enough to take on some of the most rapidly evolving applications. As such, a fine-grained accounting of sequential timing guarantees is urgently needed. The classic vision of timed-release cryptography enables cryptographic systems to rely on such guarantees realistically. The EU-funded FTRC project will establish robust foundations for timed-release cryptography by obtaining an in-depth understanding of the computational landscape, building blocks and schemes required for realising its premise. It will explore sources of computational hardness that allow to base timed-release cryptography on the hardness of well-studied problems. In the end, FTRC will construct concrete schemes offering security and functionality guarantees.
Objective
"Cryptography has repeatedly revolutionized modern technology via its ""easy-or-infeasible"" design paradigm, classifying computations as either ""easy"" or ""infeasible"". Nowadays, however, this foundational paradigm is insufficient for a host of rapidly evolving applications, and a fine-grained accounting of sequential timing guarantees is urgently needed. This has recently led to substantial interest in the classic yet insufficiently-explored vision of timed-release cryptography, enabling cryptographic systems to rely on such guarantees realistically. Despite the significant attention, the vision of timed-release cryptography is still alarmingly far, and the landscape of our current knowledge must rapidly change to facilitate its deployment: Timed-release cryptography suffers from an extreme lack of candidate schemes, and the security of its main candidates is provided directly by assumption (with essentially no supporting evidence other than the lack of successful ""speed-up"" attacks).
This proposal aims to establish robust foundations for timed-release cryptography by obtaining an in-depth understanding of the computational landscape, building blocks, and schemes required for realizing its premise. Specifically, I plan to direct our effort towards addressing the following three fundamental objectives, which span a broad and interdisciplinary flavor of research directions: (1) Explore sources of computational hardness that enable to base timed-release cryptography on the hardness of well-studied problems, (2) identify the extents to which timed-release primitive building blocks require cryptographic structure and can be utilized in designing more complex schemes, and (3) construct concrete such schemes offering a wide range of security and functionality guarantees. I strongly believe that substantial progress towards our objectives will enable us to realize the premise of timed-release cryptography, and will have a long-lasting impact on cryptography."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
91904 JERUSALEM
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.