GRK 1817:  New Challenges for Cryptography in Ubiquitous Computing

• Subject Area: Computer Science
• Term: from 2012 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 200931773

We are in the midst of the shift toward ubiquitous computing. Mobile multimedia devices with DRM services (e.g., iTunes or Kindle), intelligent web applications, medical implants that communicate or car-to-car communication have become reality. Such ubiquitous applications are typically not confined to well-defined networks but communication takes place between small embedded nodes and the "cloud", a large and often not well-defined network consisting of PCs and servers. Many of the new applications are heavily dependent on security features, for instance telemedicine or intelligent traffic management. Many current security solutions are not applicable anymore, e.g., because of a lack of clear network boundaries, resource-constrained devices or new security requirements like anonymous payment schemes on mobile tokens. The Research Training Group investigates cryptographic mechanisms, which form the foundation for security solutions in ubiquitous computing. The research is structured in three levels: cryptographic primitives, device and system level. A common theme is that new cryptographic methods are researched for applications, which are distributed and heavily inhomogeneous. The research topics range from cryptographic foundations such as fully homomorphic encryption, which is very desirable for privacy reasons, over security for medical implants to internet security solutions involving new national ID cards. A central goal of the training plan is an interdisciplinary and structured PhD phase. We achieve the interdisciplinarity by a two-advisor concept, a close coupling with the RUB Research School, which is supported as part of the DFG Excellence Initiative and mandatory research visits at leading international research groups. A high-quality education is assured by tailored graduate courses, seminars and annual summer schools. For female doctoral students, there are comprehensive offerings for gender equality by the Ruhr University together with a subject-specific programme organised by the Research Training Group.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Thorsten Holz; Professor Dr. Eike Kiltz; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Dorothea Kolossa; Professor Dr. Gregor Leander; Professorin Dr. Kerstin Lemke-Rust, since 1/2016; Professor Dr. Alexander May, since 1/2017; Professorin Dr. Christina Pöpper; Professor Dr. Jörg Schwenk; Professor Dr. Hans Ulrich Simon; Dr. Christopher Wolf
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Christof Paar