Descripción del proyecto
Soluciones criptográficas con seguridad probada
Con la llegada de las cadenas de bloques, la inminencia de los ordenadores cuánticos y la propagación de las preocupaciones sobre la privacidad, las empresas están cambiando a soluciones criptográficas sofisticadas adaptadas a sus necesidades específicas. Lamentablemente, el diseño y la aplicación criptográficos son notablemente propensos a errores con una larga historia de fallos, errores de aplicación y ataques de gran envergadura. Los resultados del proyecto Circus del Consejo Europeo de Investigación ofrecen un camino a seguir mediante el uso de la verificación formal para crear «software» criptográfico con pruebas de seguridad y corrección verificadas por máquina. El proyecto Cryspen, financiado con fondos europeos, propone fundar una empresa que facilite la transición del «software» de investigación desarrollado por el proyecto Circus hacia soluciones criptográficas verificadas, listas para usar y de calidad de producción en C, Rust y JavaScript. El proyecto pretende financiar la transferencia técnica de los resultados de la investigación y el desarrollo comercial de la nueva empresa.
Objetivo
Modern web applications routinely rely on standardized cryptographic protocols and algorithms to protect sensitive user data. Furthermore, with the advent of blockchains, the imminence of quantum computers, and widespread concerns about privacy in an era of surveillance and machine learning algorithms, enterprises are increasingly turning to sophisticated non-standard cryptographic solutions customized for specific usage scenarios. Unfortunately, cryptographic design and implementation is notoriously error-prone with a long history of design flaws, implementation bugs, and high-profile attacks. This leaves software companies with a difficult choice: every time they deploy a new crypto standard or an innovative cryptographic application that improves the security and privacy of their users, they risk exposing embarrassing flaws in their design or code.
The research results of ERC Circus offer a way out of this conundrum by advocating the use of formal verification to build cryptographic software with machine-checked proofs of security and correctness. A landmark output from this project is HACL*, a verified high-performance cryptographic library which is currently used by mainstream software like Mozilla Firefox, Linux Kernel, Tezos Blockchain, and ElectionGuard. We propose to establish a company (called Cryspen) that will transition the research software developed in ERC Circus towards a production-quality ready-to-use verified cryptographic software stack. In addition, Cryspen will offer a developer-friendly verification framework that can be used to build new custom cryptographic solutions in C, Rust, and JavaScript. The goal of this Proof-of-Concept proposal is to fund the initial technical transfer of research software to Cryspen and the business development of this company. Once this transfer is complete, Cryspen will be able to offer long-term service contracts to existing and new users of HACL*, and offer software contracts to enterprises interested in deploying verified cryptographic software.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistory
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputer securitycryptography
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computers
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsInstitución de acogida
78153 Le Chesnay Cedex
Francia