Neil Perry will present, “Cryptography and Security in a World at Risk” on Friday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. in Cudahy Hall 414.
In this talk, Perry will explore research at the intersection of cryptography, computer security and policy, with a focus on nuclear disarmament verification and the security of AI-assisted code development. Cryptography enables trust in arms control by facilitating secure and privacy-preserving verification systems, while research on AI highlights vulnerabilities from code generation tools and provides recommendations to enhance their safety.
Perry, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University under Prof. Dan Boneh, researches the intersection of cryptography, democracy and national security. He has developed an anonymous communication system for protesters in censored regimes and innovative steganographic techniques for private communication. His national security work includes a cryptographic system for tracking tactical nuclear warheads, supporting U.S. and NATO nonproliferation efforts, and securing DNA printers at the intersection of computer security and bioengineering. Perry also researches the security and safety of generative AI tools.
Perry is a SETR Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he has advised the White House on technology policy and written reports for Congress and the White House on emerging technologies and national security. He holds a bachelor’s in computer science, economics, mathematics, and liberal arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.