Researchers at the Cheriton School of Computer Science have secured nearly $425,000 in funding to support two research projects through the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC), a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization committed to advancing Canada’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Professors Sujaya Maiyya (left) and Florian Kerschbaum (right), members of Waterloo’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, are among those awarded funding in this NCC round that distributed more than $1.5 million to Waterloo researchers.
“A resilient digital landscape is vital to the wellbeing and security of all Canadians,” says Dr. Charmaine Dean, chair of the board of directors for the NCC and vice-president, Research and International at the University of Waterloo. “This funding announcement is an important step forward in maintaining our country as a leader in cybersecurity, as these 37 projects will develop cybersecurity-related training to support varied industries, bring innovative new products to market, and facilitate opportunities for research and development.”
Their funded projects, with proposals facilitated by CPI, was a significant step forward in the realization of this vision.
Enabling Secure Outsourcing of Sensitive Data
- CPI recipients: Professors Sujaya Maiyya and Florian Kerschbaum
- NCC committed funds: $295,000
- Collaborators: Amazon AWS, Royal Bank of Canada, Airbus
This project addresses the critical need for secure data storage in the cloud, which is especially pertinent given the widespread reliance on cloud services by businesses and overcomes the challenges of traditional encryption methods that may compromise data privacy. The goal is to design advanced data systems that address these concerns by enabling secure storage, efficient yet secure search capabilities, and protection against new forms of threats like access pattern attacks. This project unlocks the economic benefits of cloud storage while safeguarding privacy.
Secure Genomic Data Processing: Unleashing the Potential of Personalized Medicine
- CPI recipient: Professor Sujaya Maiyya
- NCC committed funds: $129,900
- Collaborators: Independent genomics researcher identified
This project ensures the privacy and confidentiality of genomic data while retaining its utility by leveraging trusted execution environments. By storing the data encrypted at rest and by processing it within secure hardware enclaves, the project removes any trusted entity with capabilities to view individuals’ genomic data in plaintext. Ultimately, the project contributes to advancing innovations in disease detection methods and drug discoveries, while safeguarding the confidentiality of individuals.
Read the full article on Waterloo News.