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IBM Claims Breakthrough In Analysis of Encrypted Data

An anonymous reader writes "An IBM researcher has solved a thorny mathematical problem that has confounded scientists since the invention of public-key encryption several decades ago. The breakthrough, called 'privacy homomorphism,' or 'fully homomorphic encryption,' makes possible the deep and unlimited analysis of encrypted information — data that has been intentionally scrambled — without sacrificing confidentiality." Reader ElasticVapor writes that the solution IBM claims "might better enable a cloud computing vendor to perform computations on clients' data at their request, such as analyzing sales patterns, without exposing the original data. Other potential applications include enabling filters to identify spam, even in encrypted email, or protecting information contained in electronic medical records."

7 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. OH SHIT! by jadedoto · · Score: 1, Funny

    I hope IBM won't be working with NSA on this one too!

  2. First post! by fenring · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have you seen the new neighbours. I think they're homomorphic.

    1. Re:First post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nah, I saw them together with a woman. I think they're bijective.

  3. hmmm... by whopub · · Score: 0, Funny

    Why, are you trying to keep all the gay fun for yourself?!

    <SEINFELD>No that there's anything wrong with that!</SEINFELD>

  4. At first... by curtix7 · · Score: 4, Funny
    I thought I was being childish when i thought to myself "tehee homo-morphic,"
    but after RTFA my suspicions may be justified:

    Two fathers of modern encryption...

  5. Re:BAD summary by KevinIsOwn · · Score: 4, Funny

    You better send this to the reviewers of Gentry's paper so that they have this important information!!!

  6. Re:Wikipedia to the rescue by jgbishop · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course holes will be found. It's made out of a lattice!

    --
    Go, and never darken my towels again! -- Rufus