Measuring privacy leakage in neural networks

Abstract: Deep neural networks’ ability to memorize parts of their training data is a privacy concern for models trained on user data. In this talk, I’ll describe recent work on using membership inference attacks to quantify this leakage in the worst-case, and to audit empirical defenses. Join us in CNB/F/110 (Lunch) + CAB G 52 (Seminar).

Zero Trust in Zero Trust?

Abstract: We review the basic notions of trust, trust minimization, zero trust, and trust establishment. We showthat zero trust impossible in any enterprise network and has meaning only as an unreachable limit oftrust establishment. Hence, trust establishment — not the zero trust “buzzword” — can be a foundation ofnetwork security. We also review the key

A Flash(bot) In The Pan: Measuring MEV in Private Pools

Abstract: The rise of Ethereum has lead to a flourishing decentralized marketplace that has, unfortunately, fallen victim to frontrunning and Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) activities, where savvy particpants game transaction orderings within a block for profit. One popular solution to address such behavior is Flashbots, a private pool with infrastructure and design goals aimed at eliminating the negative externalities associated with MEV.

Code-Level Protocol Verification

Abstract: Recent bugs in implementations, such as Heartbleed or in the Matrix chat application, demonstrate that formally verifying security properties for protocol models is an important first step but not enough to also guarantee them for implementations. We present a bottom-up verification approach to prove trace-based security properties directly on the level of existing implementations.

Machine readable specifications at scale

Abstract: There are lots of potential uses for machine readable specifications so you would think that every major real world artifact like long-lived hardware and software systems, protocols, languages, etc. would have a formal specification that is used by all teams extending, implementing, testing, verifying or securing the design. But, in practice, this is usually

Automating Cookie Consent and GDPR Violation Detection

Abstract: The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires websites to inform users about personal data collection and request consent for cookies. Yet the majority of websites do not give users any choices, and others attempt to deceive them into accepting all cookies. We document the severity of this situation through an analysis of