SBIR Phase I: Stealth Search Tools for Unstructured Data

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop search tools for unstructured, streaming data which preserve privacy in a distributed environment. The basic function that such a tool would provide is the ability to search through large amounts of unstructured information (e.g., email messages, internet message boards, chat rooms, and other sources of internet traffic, lists of credit card transactions, lists of names, et cetera) looking for certain key phrases or words without revealing any information about the search criteria. A privacy-preserving search program, as described above, could be used to perform a massive, distributed search for the criminal's alias, without revealing what name is being searched. Hence, the program can be widely distributed (to credit card companies, banks, vendors, other local authorities, etc.) and no matter how well-connected the criminal is; no one will be able to alert the criminal to the fact that someone is tracking him. If successful, the proposed technology will allow wide deployment and provide a new capability for both government and private entities. The development of such technology may also have a large societal impact.