DNA data and Cybersecurity – DNASEC

Most of our data is stored in the cloud, but this model of data growth is reaching its limits, for economic, geostrategic and societal reasons. DNA, on the other hand, is the ultimate storage medium in terms of density and durability: all the world's data centers could be stored in 100g of DNA, and DNA can last for thousands of years. Most research into DNA storage focuses on reducing the cost of DNA synthesis. Affordable DNA storage will democratize the technology and attract data-hungry users. But, at the same time, DNA databases will be the target of various threats such as theft or leakage. Falsification and illegal copying will be major concerns. Yet only a few research groups have begun to address the issue of securing DNA databases. In this proposal, we aim to lay the experimental and theoretical foundations for securing DNA databases and using them to secure electronic and molecular communications. By combining the strengths of molecular biologists, physicists, microfluidic engineers and specialists in cybersecurity and cryptography, we will analyze the DNA data storage chain to reveal its weaknesses, and implement secure protocols for exchanging information with DNA that take account of the reality of biomolecular constraints. The project aims to use the DNA database for new cryptographic protocols and to secure the DNA storage medium in situ. Just as the physics of quantum cryptography provides new cryptographic primitives to secure exchanges, DNA also provides new primitives for cryptography. We aim to create a new discipline, molecular cryptography, at the interface of computer science and molecular biology. Cryptography is a demanding discipline that requires careful attention to practical details, as many elegant schemes at the pseudo-code level can be ruined by careless implementation that leaves side channels open to attack. To this end, we aim to implement secure end-to-end DNA communication to demonstrate the viability of the process.