Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2004/022

Privacy-Enhanced Searches Using Encrypted Bloom Filters

Steven M. Bellovin and William R. Cheswick

Abstract: It is often necessary for two or more or more parties that do not fully trust each other to selectively share data. We propose a search scheme based on Bloom filters and Pohlig-Hellman encryption. A semi-trusted third party can transform one party's search queries to a form suitable for querying the other party's database, in such a way that neither the third party nor the database owner can see the original query. Furthermore, the encryption keys used to construct the Bloom filters are not shared with this third party. Provision can be made for third-party ``warrant servers'', as well as ``censorship sets'' that limit the data to be shared.

Category / Keywords: applications / encrypted search, pohlig-hellman, group ciphers

Publication Info: under submission

Date: received 1 Feb 2004

Contact author: smb at research att com

Available format(s): Postscript (PS) | Compressed Postscript (PS.GZ) | PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20040201:185825 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2004/022

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