September 2, 2022
Luís T. A. N. Brandão - NIST/Strativia
Abstract. The emerging awareness of "Privacy-enhancing cryptography" (PEC) concepts and tools (ZKP, MPC, FHE, PSI, ...) invites new ways to tackle data privacy vs. utility challenges. PEC can potentiate autonomy for individual privacy, and enable new insights from data siloed across multiple parties. In this talk, at the homomorphic encryption standards (HES) meeting, I'll briefly present a researcher's perspective on the furtherance of PEC, as informed by the activities in the NIST-PEC project. The project has been approaching the PEC space using the ``reference material" approach, helping us prepare for reflections on future recommendations and guidelines, which may precede subsequent standards. In the meantime, we welcome open initiatives aiming for expert community consensus on the potential, best practices, and cautionary recommendations for the use of advanced cryptography.