Secure numerical simulations using fully homomorphic encryption

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kholod, Arseniy, Polyakov, Yuriy, Schlottke-Lakemper, Michael
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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_version_ 1866914053120589824
author Kholod, Arseniy
Polyakov, Yuriy
Schlottke-Lakemper, Michael
author_facet Kholod, Arseniy
Polyakov, Yuriy
Schlottke-Lakemper, Michael
contents Data privacy is a significant concern when using numerical simulations for sensitive information such as medical, financial, or engineering data -- especially in untrusted environments like public cloud infrastructures. Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) offers a promising solution for achieving data privacy by enabling secure computations directly on encrypted data. Aimed at computational scientists, this work explores the viability of FHE-based, privacy-preserving numerical simulations of partial differential equations. The presented approach utilizes the Cheon-Kim-Kim-Song (CKKS) scheme, a widely used FHE method for approximate arithmetic on real numbers. Two Julia packages are introduced, OpenFHE$.$jl and SecureArithmetic$.$jl, which wrap the OpenFHE C++ library to provide a convenient interface for secure arithmetic operations. With these tools, the accuracy and performance of key FHE operations in OpenFHE are evaluated, and implementations of finite difference schemes for solving the linear advection equation with encrypted data are demonstrated. The results show that cryptographically secure numerical simulations are possible, but that careful consideration must be given to the computational overhead and the numerical errors introduced by using FHE. An analysis of the algorithmic restrictions imposed by FHE highlights potential challenges and solutions for extending the approach to other models and methods. While it remains uncertain how broadly the approach can be generalized to more complex algorithms due to CKKS limitations, these findings lay the groundwork for further research on privacy-preserving scientific computing.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_21824
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Secure numerical simulations using fully homomorphic encryption
Kholod, Arseniy
Polyakov, Yuriy
Schlottke-Lakemper, Michael
Numerical Analysis
Cryptography and Security
Computational Physics
65-04, 65M06, 65Y99
Data privacy is a significant concern when using numerical simulations for sensitive information such as medical, financial, or engineering data -- especially in untrusted environments like public cloud infrastructures. Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) offers a promising solution for achieving data privacy by enabling secure computations directly on encrypted data. Aimed at computational scientists, this work explores the viability of FHE-based, privacy-preserving numerical simulations of partial differential equations. The presented approach utilizes the Cheon-Kim-Kim-Song (CKKS) scheme, a widely used FHE method for approximate arithmetic on real numbers. Two Julia packages are introduced, OpenFHE$.$jl and SecureArithmetic$.$jl, which wrap the OpenFHE C++ library to provide a convenient interface for secure arithmetic operations. With these tools, the accuracy and performance of key FHE operations in OpenFHE are evaluated, and implementations of finite difference schemes for solving the linear advection equation with encrypted data are demonstrated. The results show that cryptographically secure numerical simulations are possible, but that careful consideration must be given to the computational overhead and the numerical errors introduced by using FHE. An analysis of the algorithmic restrictions imposed by FHE highlights potential challenges and solutions for extending the approach to other models and methods. While it remains uncertain how broadly the approach can be generalized to more complex algorithms due to CKKS limitations, these findings lay the groundwork for further research on privacy-preserving scientific computing.
title Secure numerical simulations using fully homomorphic encryption
topic Numerical Analysis
Cryptography and Security
Computational Physics
65-04, 65M06, 65Y99
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21824