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."

OH SHIT!

[jadedoto]

I hope IBM won't be working with NSA on this one too! [wikipedia.org]

First post!

[fenring]

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

hmmm...

[whopub]

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

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

At first...

[curtix7]

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...

Re:First post!

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Re:BAD summary

[KevinIsOwn]

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

Re:Wikipedia to the rescue

[jgbishop]

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