Improving data security for a hybrid society

Issue 8 2022 News & Events

From financial transactions to the use of communication applications with artificial intelligence, our data is frequently transmitted from personal devices to the cloud. Handling this encrypted data in a secure but computationally efficient manner is becoming increasingly important in our data-driven society. Now, researchers from Tokyo University of Science develop a method that can perform computations with encrypted data faster and at a lower cost than conventional methods, while also improving security.

Society 5.0 envisions a connected society driven by data shared between people and artificial intelligence devices connected via the Internet of Things (IoT). While this can be beneficial, it is also essential to protect the privacy of data for secure processing, transmission, and storage. Currently, homomorphic encryption and secret sharing are two methods used to compute sensitive data while preserving its privacy.

Homomorphic encryption involves performing computations on encrypted data on a single server. While being a straightforward method, it is computationally intensive. On the other hand, secret sharing is a fast and computationally efficient way to handle encrypted data. In this method, the encrypted data or secret input is divided and distributed among multiple servers, each of which performs a computation such as multiplication with its piece of data.

The results of these computations are then used to reconstruct the original data. In such a system, the secret can only be reconstructed if a certain number of pieces, known as the threshold, are available. Therefore, if the servers are managed by a single organisation, there is a higher risk that the data could be compromised if the required number of pieces falls into the hands of an attacker.

To improve data security, it is ideal for multiple companies to manage computing servers in a decentralised manner such that each server is operated independently. This approach reduces the likelihood of an attacker gaining access to the threshold number of pieces required to reconstruct a secret. However, implementing this system can be challenging in practice due to the need for a fast communication network to allow geographically separated servers to communicate with each other.

This leads to an important question: is there a way to maintain data integrity without having to rely on independent servers, and without incurring a high computational cost?

In a study published on 14 November 2022, in Volume 10 of IEEE Access, Professor Keiichi Iwamura and Assistant Professor Ahmad A. Aminuddin of Tokyo University of Science, Japan, introduced a new secure computation method where all the computations are performed on a single server without a significant computational cost.

The system consists of a trusted third party (TTP), one computing server, four players who provide secret inputs to the server, and one player who restores the computation result. The TTP is a neutral organisation that generates random numbers which are provided to the server (these are known as shares) and the players in certain combinations. These random numbers are used to encrypt the data.

Each player then performs a computation with the random numbers and generates secret inputs which are sent to a server. The server then uses the shares and secret inputs, along with new values computed by the TTP, to perform a series of computations, the results of which are sent to a final player who reconstructs the computation result (Figure 1). This method allows for the decentralised computation of encrypted data while still performing the computation on a single server.

“In our proposed method, we realise the advantage of homomorphic encryption without the significant computational cost incurred by homomorphic encryption, thereby devising a way to securely handle data,” says Prof. Iwamura, who led the study and is the paper’s first author. Moreover, the method can also be modified such that the random numbers generated by the TTP can be stored securely by a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which is a secure area in a device's hardware (processor). As the TEE takes over the role of the TPP during the subsequent computational process, it reduces the communication time and improves the speed at which the encrypted data is handled.

As our society becomes more reliant on the internet, we are moving towards storing data on the cloud rather than locally. To securely manage the growing amount of data, it is important to have a reliable and efficient method of handling it. “We realise a method that addresses all the drawbacks of the aforementioned methods, and it is possible to realise faster and more secure computations than conventional methods using secret sharing,” says Assistant Prof. Aminuddin.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Highest increase in global cyberattacks in two years
Information Security News & Events
Check Point Global Research released new data on Q2 2024 cyber-attack trends, noting a 30% global increase in Q2 2024, with Africa experiencing the highest average weekly per organisation.

Read more...
The power of PKI and private sector innovation
Access Control & Identity Management News & Events Government and Parastatal (Industry)
At the recent ID4Africa 2025 Summit in Addis Ababa, the spotlight was firmly on building secure, inclusive, and scalable digital identity ecosystems for the African continent.

Read more...
Bosch Security renamed Keenfinity
News & Events
Globally renowned brands for video systems, access control and intrusion alarm systems, as well as communication systems, unite under the roof of the new company Keenfinity Group.

Read more...
2025 video surveillance market set for improved fortunes
News & Events Surveillance
Novaira Insights has unveiled its latest report, World Market for Video Surveillance Hardware and Software – 2025 Edition, forecasting a healthy growth rate of 8,1% until 2029, excluding China.

Read more...
Wialon announces integration with fleet maintenance and optimisation platform
News & Events Transport (Industry) Logistics (Industry)
Fleet management software platform integrates with a fleet maintenance and optimisation platform to support mutual customers for better workflows and deeper insights into fleet operations.

Read more...
DeepSneak deception
Information Security News & Events
Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis researchers have discovered a new malicious campaign which is distributing a Trojan through a fake DeepSeek-R1 Large Language Model (LLM) app for PCs.

Read more...
Almost 50% of companies choose to pay the ransom
News & Events Information Security
This year’s Sophos State of Ransomware 2025 report found that nearly 50% of companies paid the ransom to get their data back, the second-highest rate of ransom payment for ransom demands in six years.

Read more...
Value and industry insight
Securex South Africa Training & Education News & Events
Securex South Africa 2025, co-located with A-OSH EXPO, Facilities Management Expo, and Firexpo, drew thousands of security professionals from across the continent and beyond, offering a platform for networking, product discovery, and knowledge sharing.

Read more...
Gallagher Security achieves ISO 27001 recertification
News & Events Training & Education
Gallagher Security has successfully achieved certification to the updated ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). This accomplishment builds on previous certifications and reflects a continued commitment to the highest standards of information security.

Read more...
Survey highlights cost of cyberdamage to industrial companies
Kaspersky Information Security News & Events
The majority of industrial organisations estimate their financial losses caused by cyberattacks to be over $1 million, while almost one in four report losses exceeding $5 million, and for some, it surpasses $10 million.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.