Past positions
Postdoc offer: Post Quantum Secure Multi-Party computation (closed)
INRIA is participating in the European H2020 PQCRYPTO project, http://pqcrypto.eu.org , whose aim is to recommend cryptographic primitives still secure after the potential advent of the quantum computer.
INRIA team Grace is involved in the topic “advanced applications”, like searchable encryption, homomorphic encryption, secure multi-party computation, and has to deliver recommendations.Besides the EU project PQCRYPTO, Grace wants to invest and put efforts in the topic of information theoretically secure multi-party computation (MPC). Also, Grace would like to investigate how multi-party computation is useful in the context of blockchains.
Mission. The mission is to support project-team Grace in its growing involvement in (information theoretically) secure multi-party computation. While the team masters mathematical and algorithmic aspects underlying secret sharing schemes relevant to information theoretically secure MPC (coding theory, algebraic function fields over finite fields), the team’s knowledge of the MPC security models (simulation, universal composition) needs to be strenghtened. In particular, it is not clear how a powerful quantum adversary may affect these models.
The second part of the mission would be to help distinguishing between general purpose MPC and decidated MPC, for main applications. The position may be extended for a second year.
Job description. Within H2020 PQCRYPTO, the applicant will be in charge, with the team leader and European researchers, of delivering the final recommendations. He will help the project participants to elaborate a plan and guidelines for these recommendations. He will also interfere with specialists in quantum computing, to assess the security models of MPC schemes in presence of a quantum adversary.
Profile. The candidate should preferably have the done a PhD thesis in the topic of MPC computation or at least in some advanced cryptographic protocols, and know well some security models.
Postdoc offer: private documents on blockchains (closed)
One year post-doctoral position at École polytechnique
Context
In collaboration, Safran Identity and Security and the computer science department of École polytechnique want to conduct a study on the manipulation of centrally issued documents on blockchains.
Object of the study
In the recent literature, there already exist various protocols designed for manipulating sensitive documents on public blockchains. These proposals range from the most straightforward ones (storing the hashes of documents), to quite advanced protocols, like ZeroCash (which is actually implemented).
Location
The study will be conducted in cooperation with the Safran Identity and Security company, and is oriented towards personal governmental documents, for instance passports. As a consequence, the candidate will spend 20% of his research time within Safran Identity and Security, (Issy-les-Moulineaux) close to Paris. The rest of the time will be spent in the computer science department of École polytechnique (LIX), in Palaiseau, within INRIA project-team Grace.
Objectives
The objective is to sort out the various proposition for anonymising transactions or data on blockchains, and to design a new one relevant to our application domain. Since the application domain is concerned with documents issued by a trusted third party (a government in case of a passport), our application domain may not properly be fitted by existing approaches. Some software developments may be conducted, to make an early prototype of the cryptographic protocol.
Profile
The candidate should have either a rather good knowledge of a few advanced cryptographic protocols beyond simple encryption, signature and authentication, or have a very good understanding of bitcoin (or ethereum) and in particular its programmable features (smart contracts, OP_RETURN).
Safran Identity and Security
Safran Identity & Security is a global leader in security and identity solutions, deploying solutions in more than 100 countries. Safran Identity & Security employs more than 8,700 people in 57 countries and generated revenues of nearly €1.9 billion in 2015. Backed by more than 40 years of experience in biometrics, the company develops innovative technologies for a wide range of markets and applications for people, governments and business. Its solutions manage identities, secure payments and transactions and safeguard privacy, for an increasingly digital and connected world.
École polytechnique
École Polytechnique is a leading French institute which combines top-level research, academics, and innovation at the cutting-edge of science and technology. Its urriculum promotes a culture of excellence with a strong emphasis on science, anchored in humanist traditions. The school produces socially responsible professionals who excel in leading complex and innovative projects which address current and future challenges facing our society.
Contact
Daniel Augot, INRIA senior researcher, Daniel.Augot@inria.fr
