MSc Thesis Proposal Announcement of Farbod Behnaminia:"Privacy-Preserving Digital Contact Tracing (PP-DCT) using Cross-Blockchain Technology"

Thursday, February 16, 2023 - 13:30 to 15:00

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

The School of Computer Science is pleased to present…

MSc Thesis Proposal by: Farbod Behnaminia 

 
Date: Thursday, February 16th, 2023 
Time:  1:30 PM – 3:00 PM 
Location: Essex Hall, Room 122 
Reminders: 1. Two-part attendance mandatory (sign-in sheet, QR Code)
2. Arrive at least 5-10 minutes prior to the event starting - LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. Note that due to demand, if the room has reached capacity, even if you are "early" admission is not guaranteed.
3. Please be respectful of the presenter by NOT knocking on the door for admittance once the door has been closed whether the presentation has begun or not (If the room is at capacity, overflow is not permitted (ie. sitting on floors) as this is a violation of the Fire Safety code).
4. Be respectful of the decision of the advisor/host of the event if you are not given admittance. The School of Computer Science has numerous events occurring in the near future.

 

Abstract:  

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of contact tracing as a tool for controlling the spread of the virus, but it has also raised concerns about the privacy and security of personal information. Blockchain technology, with its immutability and security features, has the potential to address these concerns. However, traditional blockchain solutions may not be sufficient to protect sensitive personal information, especially when it comes to interoperability with other chains that may have different privacy standards. 
Cross-blockchain technology, such as the interoperability feature of the Polkadot network, allows for the creation of a decentralized and distributed contact tracing system that can be used by multiple organizations and jurisdictions while ensuring privacy. We examine the technical challenges and potential solutions for using cross-blockchain technology for Privacy-Preserving Digital Contact Tracing (PP-DCT) applications. We propose a PP-DCT solution using the Polkadot network, where the personal and contact information is stored on a blockchain, accessible only to authorized parties. The use of cross-blockchain technology and encryption would ensure that sensitive personal information is protected and that only authorized parties can access the data. Additionally, the data on the private blockchain would be shareable with other health authorities or other blockchain networks by using the interoperability feature of the Polkadot network. 
 
Keywords:  Blockchain, Cross-chain Technology, Scalability, Electronic Record Management.
 

MSc Thesis Committee:

Internal Reader: Dr. Dima Alhadidi
External Reader: Dr. Mohammad Hassanzadeh
Advisor: Dr. Saeed Samet


MSc Thesis Proposal Announcement

 

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