Cryptography Research

By Kristin Lauter, Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research Last week I spent time at the American Institute of Mathematics in San Jose, working with a group of 20 or so mathematicians and computer scientists on questions related to quantum arithmetic, at a conference co-organized by researchers in the Microsoft Research (MSR) Quantum Architectures and Computation (QuArC) group. You might ask, why is a cryptographer working on this topic? (And also, when will we have a quantum…

By John Roach, Writer, Microsoft Research In the future, machine learning algorithms may examine our genomes to determine our susceptibility to maladies such as heart disease and cancer. Between now and then, computer scientists need to train the algorithms on genetic data, bundles of which are increasingly stored encrypted and secure in the cloud along with financial records, vacation photos and other bits and bytes of digitized information. And there the data sits, full of…

By Allison Linn, Senior Writer, Microsoft Research A Microsoft researcher and his academic colleagues have figured out a way to obtain personal information from certain encrypted databases even when the databases are being protected by a promising security method. Seny Kamara, a researcher in Microsoft’s cryptography group, worked with colleagues from the University of Illinois and Portland State University to show how the encrypted database system, called CryptDB, could be undermined to reveal information in…

Posted by Allison Linn Kristin Lauter is solving a problem you may not even know you have: She’s working to keep your most personal data private and secure. We’re not talking about your bank account balance or even your Social Security number. Lauter, a mathematician and cryptographer, is at the forefront of a push to make sure human genome data can be stored, accessed and used for research – without falling victim to prying…

By Janie Chang, Writer, Microsoft Research Each summer, Microsoft Research facilities from around the world welcome a fresh crop of interns. Microsoft Research considers the intern program a vital part of its interactions with the academic world, with some facilities increasing their head count by as much as 50 percent when interns arrive. Microsoft Research interns enjoy the perks of working in world-class facilities and an active social schedule organized specifically for them. Over the…

By Rob Knies, Managing Editor, Microsoft Research On Feb. 4, Microsoft Research unveiled its latest lab, to be called Microsoft Research New England and to be based in Cambridge, Mass., in the midst of the Boston region’s bustling academic environment. Jennifer Chayes will serve as managing director of the lab, with her husband and longtime professional collaborator, Christian Borgs, as deputy managing director, though, given the nature of their relationship, the roles could prove a…