INVISILINE: Invisible Plausibly-Deniable Storage
Sandeep Kiran Pinjala, Bogdan Carbunar, Anrin Chakraborti, Radu Sion
IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 2024 · Day 2 · Continental Ballroom 6
In this talk, Sandeep Kiran Pinjala, a PhD student at Stony Brook University, presents "INVISILINE," a novel system for invisible, plausibly-deniable storage. The work, a collaboration with Professors Bogdan Carbunar, Anrin Chakraborti, and Radu Sion, addresses a critical shortcoming of traditional data encryption: its vulnerability to "rubber hose attacks" and legal coercion. While encryption effectively protects data at rest from unauthorized access, it offers no defense when adversaries, such as governments or law enforcement agencies, can compel users to reveal decryption keys. This problem is exacerbated by laws like the UK's RIPA Act, the US's Cloud Act, and Australia's Assistance and Access Act, which empower authorities to demand access to sensitive user data, often under threat of criminal charges.
AI review
INVISILINE delivers a crucial breakthrough in plausible deniability, enabling invisible, multi-snapshot-resistant hidden storage against coercive adversaries. Its ingenious method of embedding sensitive data within standard DM-Crypt IVs fundamentally challenges current forensic capabilities and offers robust protection where traditional encryption fails. This work is a must-see for anyone serious about real-world data privacy.