FrodoPIR: New Privacy-Focused Database Querying System Explained

FrodoPIR (Private Information Retrieval) is a privacy-focused database querying system that allows users to query a database without revealing which records they are interested in. This is accomplished using techniques from cryptography and information theory.

In traditional database querying systems, the client sends a query to the server that stores the database, specifying which records they are interested in. The server then responds by sending the requested data back to the client. However, this process reveals to the server which records the client is interested in, potentially exposing sensitive information about the client’s interests or activities.

FrodoPIR addresses this issue by allowing the client to send a query to the server without revealing which records they are interested in. To do this, the client constructs a special kind of query called a “private information retrieval” (PIR) query, which consists of multiple fake queries that the client mixes together. The client then sends the PIR query to the server, which responds with the requested data without knowing which records the client was actually interested in.

There are several different versions of FrodoPIR, including FrodoKEM, which is optimized for use with key encapsulation mechanisms, and FrodoSAM, which is optimized for use with secure multi-party computation protocols.

FrodoPIR has a number of potential applications in a variety of settings, including healthcare, finance, and online advertising. It can also be used to protect the privacy of users in collaborative data analysis tasks, such as those involving distributed machine learning.

One of the main advantages of FrodoPIR is that it allows users to query a database without revealing which records they are interested in, protecting their privacy. This is particularly useful in settings where sensitive or personal information is stored, as it can help prevent the accidental or malicious disclosure of this information.